Managing Grief and Bereavement in Mothers of Children who have Died from Cancer with an Approach Based on the Teachings of the Quran
Journal of Pizhūhish dar dīn va Salāmat (i.e., Research on Religion & Health),
Vol. 11 No. 4 (2025),
7 Dey 2026
,
Page 31-47
https://doi.org/10.22037/jrrh.v11i4.45617
Abstract
Background and Objective: The loss of a loved one is the most stressful event that any person can experience in their life. The most difficult and painful experience of grief is the loss of a child, which is a unique grief that is more intense than other types of grief leading to more serious and lasting symptoms. In the present study, the researchers sought to answer the question: What conditions and contexts lead to the management of grief and bereavement of mothers of children who died from cancer based on the teachings of the Quran?
Methods: The present study was qualitative conducted based on the grounded theory. The statistical population of this study was all mothers of children who died from cancer in the city of Sari, out of whom 21 were selected through purposive sampling, and in-depth and semi-structured interviews were conducted until data saturation was achieved. Strauss and Corbin’s systematic analysis method and open, axial, and selective coding methods were used to analyze the interviews. All ethical considerations were observed in this study, and the authors reported no conflicts of interest.
Results: The results showed that 56 codes were identified out of 387 concepts, and from the 56 primary codes, 10 categories were extracted, including belief in divine testing, belief in God's ownership, positive attitude to life, correct insight into death, motivation, inevitability of death, maintaining psychological balance, strengthening faith and religious beliefs, learning to relax, and training to overcome anxiety.
Conclusion: Religion and spirituality help individuals to better cope with external and internal adversities. Acting on religious beliefs and seeking meaning are important factors in the grieving process and can protect the bereaved person in how to deal with grief and stress.
- Bereavement
- Cancer
- Mourning
- Sari
How to Cite
References
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