Exploring the lived experience of older Chinese “Shidu” parents who lost their only child: A phenomenology study

• Published in: Culture & psychology Vol. 26; no. 4; pp. 837 - 849
• Main Authors: Yu, Guilin, Lenny, Chiang-Hanisko, Yu, Feng, Zheng, Yijin, Liu, Xiaoliu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.12.2020; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Blame; Child mortality; Children; Grief; Guilt; Only children; Parents & parenting; Phenomenology; Psychosocial factors; Psychosocial support; Selfblame; Selfworth; China; Older “Shidu” parents; phenomenology; qualitative research; psychology; China
• ISSN: 1354-067X; 1461-7056
• DOI: 10.1177/1354067X20936937

The purpose of this study was to explore lived experiences of older “Shidu” parents in China. A qualitative phenomenology study using Colaizzi’s method was employed in a major metropolitan city in China. 8 individuals from 5 families participated in this study. Participants were parents who had lost their only child. 3 participants were male and 5 were female. Four major themes emerged from the data: (1) “Shidu” means excessive grief, and facing spiritual dilemma; (2) “Shidu” often results in withdrawal from society, and social disorder to some extent; (3) Irrational perception on “Shidu” will cause more harmful feelings, like self-blame, guilt, low self-worth; and (4) “Shidu” means loss of support, and worrying about how to manage life after the death of their only child. The findings revealed that the older “Shidu” parents felt a strong desire to express their need for psychosocial support and understanding. These findings are related to the traditional Chinese culture that a child is the center of the family.