"We were made to mourn": A meta-ethnographic synthesis of living through the loss of a child to cancer for Latinx families in the United States

"We were made to mourn": A meta-ethnographic synthesis of living through the loss of a child to cancer for Latinx families in the United States

Buzelli P; Snaman J

Death Studies

2024

Humans; Child; Female; Male; United States; Bereavement; Grief; Social Support; Anthropology Cultural; Hispanic or Latino/psychology; Neoplasms/ethnology/psychology; Family/psychology/ethnology

Latinx children with cancer in the United States (US) are more than 50% more likely to die of their cancer compared to non-Latinx White children. Despite this disproportionate likelihood, little is known about the grief experiences of Latinx populations in the US related to the loss of a child including the sociocultural context of this loss experience. We used a meta-ethnographic approach to analyze and synthesize qualitative data across 9 studies related to bereavement and grief in US-based Latinx families following the death of a child. Four key concepts emerged that shape the environment of loss, influence the experience of grief, and affect the related resiliency capacities of Latinx families in the US: (1) immigration context, (2) Latinx cultural influences, (3) social support/familismo, and (4) healthcare inequities. These findings can inform future research and the development of culturally responsive interventions.

2025 SE1 - Oncology