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Making Sense of Bereavement in People with Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities: Carer Perspectives
Author(s) -
Young Hannah,
Hogg James,
Garrard Brenda
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.056
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1468-3148
pISSN - 1360-2322
DOI - 10.1111/jar.12285
Subject(s) - psychology , multiple disabilities , intellectual disability , sense of control , learning disability , sense (electronics) , developmental psychology , social psychology , psychiatry , electrical engineering , engineering
Background People with intellectual disabilities are thought to have a reduced capacity for understanding death. Drawing on cognitive theory, researchers have suggested that those with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities mainly perceive loss as a mismatch between past and present experiences. However, very little research has considered how carers conceptualize bereavement in relation to this group. Method Semi‐structured interviews obtained responses from seven carers. Transcripts were examined using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results Two superordinate themes emerged: ‘difficulty articulating the experience of loss’ and ‘making sense of bereavement through familiar patterns’. Conclusions Carers conceptualize bereavement primarily in cognitive terms, but also take account of relational factors mediating loss. Implications for training and further research are outlined.