Table 2 Frequency of Themes

Emotions

[20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29, 31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41, 43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51, 53, 55,56,57, 65,66,67,68,69,70,71,72]

Serenity

[20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29, 31,32,33,34,35,36, 38, 40, 41, 44,45,46,47,48,49, 53, 55,56,57, 65,66,67, 69, 71, 72]

Sadness

[20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27, 31,32,33, 35,36,37,38,39,40,41, 43,44,45,46,47,48,49, 51, 53, 55, 57, 65,66,67, 70,71,72]

Guilt

[20, 22,23,24,25,26,27, 32, 34, 37, 41, 43,44,45,46,47, 49, 50, 55,56,57, 68,69,70,71]

Uncertainty

[20, 22,23,24,25,26, 31,32,33, 35, 36, 39,40,41, 43,44,45, 48, 49, 53, 56, 67, 69, 71, 72]

Trauma

[20, 21, 23, 32, 37, 39, 41, 44,45,46, 48, 49, 53, 56, 57, 65, 67, 68, 71]

Escape

[22, 23, 25, 31, 32, 34, 36, 39, 41, 45, 46, 49, 53, 57, 66, 71, 72]

Anger

[23, 25, 31,32,33, 37, 40, 41, 44, 47, 49, 51, 57, 66, 67]

Post-loss help

[20, 22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51, 53, 55, 57, 65,66,67, 69, 70, 72, 73]

Family and friends

[20, 22, 23, 25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41, 43, 44, 47, 49, 53, 65, 67, 72, 73]

Formal support

[23, 26, 30,31,32,33,34, 37, 38, 40,41,42,43,44, 46, 47, 50, 65, 70, 73]

Coping strategies

[23, 24, 31,32,33,34,35,36,37, 40, 41, 44, 47, 49, 51, 55, 65, 66]

Post-loss hinder

[20,21,22,23, 25,26,27,28,29,30, 32,33,34, 36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49, 51,52,53, 65, 67, 70,71,72]

Family and friends - negative

[20, 22, 23, 25, 27, 28, 32, 33, 37,38,39,40,41, 44, 46, 47, 49, 51, 53, 65, 67, 70]

Formal support - negative

[21, 22, 27, 28, 32, 37, 40, 42,43,44, 47, 52, 53, 65, 71]

Reluctance to engage in services

[22, 25, 28, 29, 32, 34, 37, 40,41,42,43, 46, 48]

Practical changes

[20, 22,23,24,25,26, 28, 29, 32, 33, 35,36,37, 39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49, 51, 54,55,56,57, 65,66,67, 70, 72, 73]

Living alone

[23, 25, 29, 32, 36, 37, 39, 41, 43,44,45, 47, 49, 65, 66]

Financial issues

[22, 28, 29, 32, 37, 39, 41, 44, 46, 47, 49, 70]

Caregiver health - negative

[20, 23, 26, 29, 32, 35, 36, 39, 41, 44, 45, 47, 49]

Caregiver role

[22,23,24,25,26,27, 31,32,33,34,35,36,37, 39,40,41, 43,44,45,46,47,48,49, 55,56,57, 65, 66, 70,71,72]

Constructing a new identity

[22,23,24, 26, 27, 31, 32, 34, 36, 37, 39,40,41, 44, 46,47,48, 55, 66, 70, 72]

Caregiver pride

[23, 35, 40, 41, 45, 48, 55, 56, 59]

Losing your identity

[26, 39, 41, 43,44,45, 47, 71]

Caregiver’s own mortality

[25, 33, 34, 41, 44, 46, 48, 66]

Pre-loss help

[22,23,24, 27, 29, 32, 33, 35, 40, 41, 43, 45,46,47,48,49,50, 53,54,55,56,57, 66, 67, 70]

doing their best

[22, 24, 32, 33, 41, 45, 46, 55,56,57, 67]

Caregiving general - positive

[27, 32, 33, 46, 53, 56]

Communication and patient attitude

[24, 35, 41, 45, 46, 48]

Patient-caregiver relationship

[24, 41, 43, 45, 47, 49]

Saying goodbye - positive

[23, 24, 27, 46, 50, 67]

Pre-loss hinder

[23, 24, 26, 27, 29, 32, 36, 39,40,41, 43,44,45,46,47,48, 50,51,52,53, 55, 56, 65,66,67, 70]

Caregiving general - negative

[24, 27, 41, 46, 51, 53, 56, 70]

Healthcare services - negative

[32, 40, 41, 50, 52, 53, 70]

Saying goodbye - negative

[34, 38, 48, 49, 55, 70]

Caregiver in context

[23, 25, 30, 32, 33, 36, 38, 43, 45, 48,49,50, 54,55,56,57, 73]

Homophobia

[33, 38, 43, 54, 55]

Gender differences showing grief

[32, 48, 49, 56]

Stigma (HIV/AIDS)

[25, 33, 43, 55]

Caregiver language choices

[36, 43, 45, 57]

Need for different supports

[22, 24, 27,28,29, 32, 37, 42, 47, 50, 69, 70, 72]

Consistency

[27, 37, 42, 70]

Similar others

[28, 29, 32, 47]

Talking about loss

[22, 32, 70, 72]