Sharing loss online: Social media as a tool for navigating stillbirth grief

Abstract

Background: Stillbirth has profound implications for parents and families, including trauma and prolonged grief. Research indicates that social support is pivotal for parents bereaved by perinatal loss. However, there is limited research considering women's experiences of informal online support following stillbirth loss specifically. Objective: This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of women living in Australia who engaged with informal online support following stillbirth. Method: In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 women aged 29 to 45 years (Mage = 34.46, SD = 4.67) who had engaged with informal online support following stillbirth. Findings: Through inductive and deductive thematic analysis, the researchers generated two key themes; ‘It Takes a Village’ and ‘A Double-Edged Sword’ and five sub-themes; ‘Finding the Village’, ‘Grieving in the Village’, ‘Leaving the Village’, ‘Triggers and Challenges’, and ‘A Sense of Safety and Connection’. Conclusions: Interpreted through Worden's Task-Based Grief Model, informal online support was found to support bereaved mothers as they navigated stillbirth loss. Participants described the benefits of informal online support as they grappled with their new reality, expressed their grief, adjusted to life following loss, and developed enduring bonds. Despite challenges of triggering content and comparison, participants valued the perceived accessibility, safety, control, and connection provided by informal online support. Bereaved mothers requested warm referrals from health services to better facilitate timely access to online support. Implications: These findings have clinical implications for trauma-informed healthcare referral pathways, suggesting the need for targeted promotion of online resources to better support women bereaved by stillbirth.