The Relationship Between Religion, Illness and Death in Life Histories of Family Members of Children With Life-Threatening Diseases

Authors

  • Regina Szylit Bousso Universidade de São Paulo; Escola de Enfermagem
  • Taís de Souza Serafim Universidade de São Paulo; Escola de Enfermagem
  • Maira Deguer Misko Universidade de São Paulo; Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/S0104-11692010000200003

Keywords:

Death, Religion, Child

Abstract

This qualitative study aimed to get to know the relationship between the experiences of families of children with a life-threatening disease and their religion, illness and life histories. The methodological framework was based on Oral History. The data were collected through interviews and the participants were nine families from six different religions who had lived the experience of having a child with a life-threatening disease. The interviews, held with one or two family members, were transcribed, textualized and, through their analysis, the Vital Tone was elaborated, representing the moral synthesis of each narrative. Three dimensions of spirituality were related to illness and death in their life histories: a Higher Being with a healing power; Development and Maintenance of a Connection with God and Faith Encouraging Optimism. The narratives demonstrated the family's search to attribute meanings to their experiences, based on their religious beliefs.

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Published

2010-04-01

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 2 (2010)

Section

Original Articles

License

RLAE’s authorship concept is based on the substantial contribution by each of the individuals listed as authors, mainly in terms of conceiving and planning the research project, collecting or analyzing and interpreting data, writing and critical review. Indication of authors’ names under the article title is limited to six. If more, authors are listed on the online submission form under Acknowledgements. The possibility of including more than six authors will only be examined on multicenter studies, considering the explanations presented by the authors.
Including names of authors whose contribution does not fit into the above criteria cannot be justified. Those names can be included in the Acknowledgements section.
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How to Cite

The Relationship Between Religion, Illness and Death in Life Histories of Family Members of Children With Life-Threatening Diseases . (2010). Revista Latino-Americana De Enfermagem, 18(2), 156-162. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0104-11692010000200003