LAUSR

BACKGROUND Young adults represent a minority in research; they are often considered too young or too old for participation. There is sparse information, especially in bereavement research, regarding how this age group perceives research participation and what they consider beneficial or harmful. AIM To explore how parentally bereaved and nonbereaved young adults perceive research participation. DESIGN Qualitative analysis of free-text comments collected in a Swedish nation-wide survey. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS Parentally cancer-bereaved and nonbereaved young adults between 18 and 25 years old living in Sweden. RESULTS Five categories were identified from the free-text comments, three among the cancer-bereaved: (1) therapeutic to remember the deceased, (2) valuable to help others and improve care, and (3) short-term distressful-long-term beneficial, and two among the nonbereaved: (1) increased reflection and awareness about life, and (2) an opportunity to help others. CONCLUSIONS It is important to invite young adults to participate in bereavement research. The results suggest that potential harm is minimal and that participating in bereavement research can have a beneficial effect on young adults.