Exploration of Spiritual Healing Practices and Cultural Beliefs of Grieving Parents After Child Loss: A Qualitative Study in Northeastern Thailand

Culture is central to many people’s belief systems, and death is an arena for the enactment of cultural beliefs likely to be a central part of coping and adjustment in grief caused by the death of a loved one. This qualitative study aimed to explore the cultural beliefs and spiritual healing practices grieving parents in Nakhon Phanom applied to cope with the loss of a child. Twenty parents living in Nakhon Phanom experiencing the loss of a child between the ages of 1 day and 18 years within the last 6 months to 2 years were recruited by purposive sampling according to the inclusion criteria. Data were collected through in-depth interviews from March to July 2023 until data was saturated. Content analysis was conducted to analyze the data. The findings revealed two themes: 1) following traditional ways (which involved calling the spirit home, severing ties with the deceased, realizing the truth of life through scattering cracked rice, dispelling sorrow and enhancing auspiciousness, and inquiry into existence through calling upon spirits or bueng vinyan); and 2) following teachings and rituals related to Buddhist beliefs (involving funeral rites related to Buddhist beliefs, and teachings of Isaan proverbs about Dhamma). This is the first study on this topic in Nakhon Phanom that provides valuable insights into how parents in Nakhon Phanom use cultural and spiritual practices to overcome grief after losing a child. These findings can inform the development of culturally sensitive nursing care plans that better support bereaved families. By integrating culturally relevant practices into nursing care, nurses can help guide families through the grieving process while respecting their spiritual and cultural values.