2024 Volume 44 Pages 263-273
Objective: This study investigated the benefits and burdens of participation in qualitative research experienced by bereaved mothers whose children died of cancer. The study also considered the ethical considerations of including these subjects.
Methods: Data from 12 bereaved mothers, descriptions of the interactions between the researcher and the participants during interviews throughout the research process, and responses to a questionnaire administered after the interviews were completed, were analyzed in terms of the benefits and burdens of participating in the study.
Results: The burdens of research participation included pre-interview anxiety, overwhelming feelings related to their children, and sensitive reactions to words within the research statements. Therefore, participants required compassionate care prior to the interview. However, all participants rated their participation in the study as a positive experience. Benefits of the study included “an opportunity to lift the lid on memories held in the heart,” “an opportunity to think about the bereaved child again,” and “increased strength to live gained through the telling of the story.”
Conclusion: Bereavement research is meant to be a form of care that, with appropriate ethical considerations, can bring many benefits to the vulnerable participants. In practice, ethical researchers should increase their clinical sensitivities, work with utmost integrity, and be flexible.
