Adult sibling bereavement in the Netherlands: social support, meaning and lived experiences of grief and loss

Background
Bereaved individuals benefit from a supportive social network. However, in the case of sibling loss in adulthood, several scholars report a lack of support and acknowledgement, even among health care professionals. Therefore, they are often considered forgotten grievers (Rostila et al., 2012). Furthermore, sibling loss may evoke existential questions regarding the meaning of life. Existential meaning can be reflected in certain needs for meaning (Jacobs, 2020); Derkx et al. (2020) identify seven of such needs for meaning.

Rationale
The present study aims to explore the lived experiences of grief and loss among adults whose sibling died, the social support they receive following the loss, and their need for meaning. This study is significant for European professionals working in bereavement care, including chaplains.

Design
This study has a qualitative design, in which ten bereaved adults who lost one or more adult siblings to illness or suicide, were interviewed in-depth. The interviewees were three men and seven women living in the Netherlands. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyze the data.

Results
The death of an adult sibling is a profound loss which leads to long-lasting grief, even if the siblings were not close. Most bereaved siblings experience a lack of support, although responses from the nearby social network are predominantly supportive. The loss increases the bereaved sibling’s sense of temporality which urges a reconsideration of what gives value to life. All respondents long for connection, with their families and their deceased sibling. A protective presence of the deceased is often felt.

Conclusions
Dutch adults who have lost a sibling experience long-lasting grief and receive limited social support. They report three important needs for meaning: moral justification, connection and transcendence.