Understanding the bereavement experience of grandparents following the death of a grandchild from a life-limiting condition: a meta-ethnography.

AIM: To increase understanding of grandparental grief following the death of a grandchild from a life-limiting condition.

DESIGN: META-ETHNOGRAPHY: DATA SOURCES: Academic Search Complete (2015, updated 2018), CINHAL, Embase, psycINFO, PubMed and Web of Science, supplemented by manual search strategies.

REVIEW METHODS: Studies were appraised and synthesised using the principles of meta-ethnography.

FINDINGS: Three superordinate themes were identified: 'influence of the relationship with their grandchild', 'influence of the relationship with the grandchild's family' and 'pain'. The simultaneous, multi-generational position of grandparents meant individuals experience emotional pain from witnessing the experience of family members.

CONCLUSION: Many factors that contribute to the bereavement experience of grandparents are outside of their control. The roles, positions and support needs of grandparents need to be acknowledged to better meet their needs as parents, grandparents and individuals who have experienced a child death. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.