Grieving in the time of COVID. I have discussed the
issue of grief many times, but our current pandemic is causing people problems
with grieving. So far (September 3, 2020) COVID-19 has caused more than 894,000
deaths to date and left several million people mourning since the virus was
first reported in December 2019.
The following is taken from the McMaster Optimal
Ageing Portal and may be of interest to those who are grieving or know of those
who are grieving?
Globally, health and social systems are
facing an unprecedented challenge: supporting those who are grieving, while
continuing to treat those infected and preventing the virus from spreading
exponentially. It is also a time of great uncertainty, as the consequences and the course of the disease are not yet clearly defined.
Grief and bereavement during a pandemic
remain complex due to public-health measures aimed at reducing the spread of
the virus and protecting vulnerable people. Physical distancing requirements
mean that funerals are limited and those who have lost loved ones may have to
grieve alone. The inability to say goodbye, the loss of social and community
networks, living in confinement, and all the other social and economic impacts
of the pandemic may exacerbate the grieving process. In recent months, people
have voiced their concerns that the COVID-19 pandemic is depriving people of
the possibility of grieving. A Canadian coalition has also called for a
national strategy to better support grief and bereavement which are currently
"distorted" by the pandemic.
What strategies could help to deal with
mass grief and bereavement? What programs and services could be put forward
during a pandemic?
What research tells us
A recent rapid review of 12 articles
examined service delivered in the context of mass grief and bereavement
following natural disasters or man-made disasters (for example, oil spills,
transportation accidents, or terrorist attacks), but also following pandemics. (6)
Although these events differ from the current pandemic, there have similar
characteristics: the sudden and massive loss of human life, the lack of access
to relatives after death and disruption to customary funeral rituals, job
losses, social disruption, as well as intense media coverage of the events and
their consequences.
None of the studies reviewed provide
strong evidence on the effectiveness of programs and services in supporting
mass grief and bereavement. However, relevant measures in the context of
COVID-19 have been identified:
·
a highly coordinated, proactive, and a multi-pronged approach to providing support
to bereaved populations while avoiding promoting formal intervention with
people who demonstrate resilience.
·
information and practical advice provided through multiple channels from the onset of the crisis, then
moving to an open and centralized communication channel in the longer term.
·
an integrated local approach aimed both at raising awareness of support services and at communicating
with people who are grieving (especially those living in rural and remote
regions).
·
specific training for front-line
workers on grieving and bereavement
experiences, funeral rituals that must be changed and the effects of the
intense media coverage during the pandemic.
·
psycho-educational approaches that focus on understanding reactions to loss, normalizing grief,
improving family and social relationships and promoting individual coping skills.
·
risk assessments that take into account the impact of COVID-19 on other roles in
life such as social isolation and unemployment to identify people likely to
experience complicated grief and bereavement or to develop a mental health
problem (or exacerbate pre-existing mental health problems); and
·
culturally sensitive approaches (that is, focused on the cultural needs of individuals, or that
take into account the cultural and linguistic barriers of minority groups who
are over-represented in COVID-19 death rates).
But until national strategies to support
mass grief and bereavement are adopted, some programs and services exist to
support you. Crisis
Services Canada provides a list of crisis and counselling centers across
the country (including local bereavement support groups). These centers are
there to help you.