2021 Volume 58 Issue 1 Pages 19-25
Purpose: To disclose the impact of bereavement on adolescent patients after their friend’s death during hospitalization and make suggestions on supporting these adolescents with their grieving process. Method: Semistructured interviews were conducted on six adolescents (aged 10–18 years old when hospitalized in the pediatric hematology/oncology unit) after discharge. The data were analyzed qualitatively and inductively. Results: Participant experiences were analyzed from three aspects in time, and thirteen categories were extracted. Althouth the participants sensed their friend’s death, they did not talk about their anxieties with surrounding adults before they were notified of the death. They were perplexed by their friend’s death. However, all participants expressed gratitude that they were notified of their friend’s death and tried to take a step forward. None of the participants were worried about their own prognosis when hearing of their friend’s death; however, some participants were vaguely concerned about their own death when their physical condition was poor. Activities to deal with bereavement such as meeting friends after a death, attending funerals, and making presents were meaningful opportunities for participants to share their friend’s memories. Discussion: Because friendship is critical during adolescence, information about their friends, including their death, should be shared with them. Adolescents have complicated feelings regarding life and death, even when they are in good health. It is important to build relationships with patients and to talk about life and death without treating it as a forbidden subject. Giving patients the opportunity to share memories and thoughts of their friends will support their grieving process.
