Page 53 - IJPS-10-2

International Journal of
Population Studies Experience of bereavement by suicide in later life

by suicide at least 12 months before engaging in the research Table 1. Characteristics of the 24 participants included in the
interview. Table 1 shows details of the 24 participants. As the study
study took place during the COVID-19 lockdown period, Variable N
purposive and opportunistic sampling were deployed by
recruiting through bereavement services, social media, Gender of participant
and research networks and contacts with aging services. Female 21
All interviews were conducted virtually by phone or Male 3
video conferencing and were audio-recorded. Afterward, Age of participant (years; mAvg = 72.0)
the interviews, each lasted for an average of 58 min, were 60 – 64 6
professionally transcribed. Participants were inquired for 65 – 69 4
the time since their suicide bereavement, since having 70 – 74 7
endured bereavement for a minimum of 2 years is one of 75 – 79 3
the inclusion criteria. This was collated and separated from 80 – 84 2
the data. 85 – 89 1
Areas covered were the individual’s experience of 90 – 44 1
support after their loss at different time points, the Relationship to the deceased
sources of support identified, their own help-seeking Aunt/Uncle 1
and self-identified needs, and how these impacted their Grandparent 1
aging experiences. This flexible approach to interviewing Parent 15
encouraged reflective thinking and effort to explain their Parent-in-law 1
situation and response to it (Sandelowski, 2001). Sibling 2
Spouse/Partner 4
2.2. Data analysis
Sexual identity of participant
Descriptive phenomenology was used as a framework Bisexual 2
for analyzing participants’ lived experiences (Ozuem Heterosexual 22
et al., 2022; Sundler et al., 2019). Emphasis was placed Time elapsed between the death and interview
on openness, questioning pre-understandings, and (between 1 and 20 years; mAvg = 6.8 years)
adopting a reflective attitude throughout the research Ethnicity of participant
process. The conceptual confluence between thematic Black, African 1
analysis and descriptive phenomenology is a theoretically White, British 1
rich construct for understanding and making sense of White, English 13
qualitative data (Ozem et al., 2022). Two researchers White, European 2
read and coded every transcript and met on Zoom to White, Northern Irish 1
discuss each transcript as well as identify and reflect on White, Scottish 5
preliminary themes. In the transcripts, we looked for
complex ideas, particularly age-related issues, metaphors, White, Welsh 1
and critical moments and focused on understanding the Disability
breadth of experiences to build a picture of bereavement Yes 3
by suicide, and the meaning-making of participants in No 21
relation to their later life grounded in their own narratives. Religion/Belief of participant
A series of team meetings took place where the whole team Buddhism 1
came together to present and discuss their analysis until we Christianity 11
had worked through every transcript. These meetings were Judaism 1
audio-recorded and the transcriptions were used to verify No religion 9
and report on the main themes. These processes provided Prefer not to say 1
a robust and rich source of reflection to illuminate and Quaker 1
understand aspects of participant’s experiences which Location of participant in UK
were inclusive of insights from lived experience. The England 17
team also noted the contextual features of participants Northern Ireland 1
experience in relation to influences such as age, health,
and well-being. We discussed the social and economic Scotland 5
factors impacting participants’ experiences and how they Wales 1

Volume 10 Issue 2 (2024) 47 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.0777