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'epidemic of grief': covid steals the chance to mourn

people facing the loss of loved ones are not receiving the kind of bereavement care they would have before covid-19.

by nick beare

mar 1 2021

3 minute read

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'silent epidemic of grief': are people getting the chance to mourn?

loss and grief have become more complicated during the pandemic. getty

as the covid-19 pandemic continues its course of disruption across the globe, economies, health care systems and other public services have become increasingly overwhelmed.

but the people who are left to grieve the loss of their loved ones have been hit as hard as anyone, and new research from the university of cambridge suggests they are not getting the kind of help they need.

the study , published in bmj open, reports the results of an online survey sent to health and social care staff in august 2020, asking them to describe their experiences and views about changes in bereavement care. more than 800 people responded, including people working in hospitals, hospices and long-term care homes across the u.k. and ireland.

what became apparent was that people dealing with the loss of their loved ones are not receiving the kind of bereavement care they would have normally, as the scale of the impact of the pandemic on social care staff has been enormous.

“bereavement care has undergone major changes in both acute and community settings affecting bereaved people, clinicians, support workers and the wider health and social care system,” said dr. caroline pearce, the lead researcher in the study. “the increased need for bereavement care has challenged practitioners as they have taken on new responsibilities and skills and shifted to remote and electronic working. the increased potential for prolonged and complicated grief responses among those bereaved during this period is particularly concerning.”

the pandemic has drastically changed the way we deal with end-of-life services. social distancing guidelines have made it impossible for loved ones to visit at the end of life, and funeral services have been curtailed and delayed, regardless of the cause of death. these factors have a major impact on the grief process.

much of the fallout has landed on the shoulders of social care staff who, like many people, have had to work from home while delivering bereavement services. and while the study showed there were some benefits to remote services (younger people preferred this method), practitioners mostly felt that they were not able to deliver the proper care to those in need.

“we had 600 a per cent increase in deaths for a three week period,” said one palliative medicine doctor who was surveyed. “dealing with the backlog of bereavement support was challenging.”

many respondents also expressed concerns about the long-term impact on the bereaved as the restrictions placed on them at every stage of their loved one’s death could have a profound effect on how they deal with their grief moving forward.

“it has felt as though we are dealing with them at arm’s length whereas [before covid] we would be there to hold their hands, give them a hug as needed,” said another doctor.

because these bereavement services are so limited, and the quality of care is unfortunately lacking, there is also a growing concern of an ‘invisible cohort’ of grieving people who are dealing with loss alone.

“there may be a silent epidemic of grief that we have not yet picked up on,” said a palliative medicine doctor in the survey.

as the pandemic rages on, under-resourced services affect more and more grieving people. it is estimated that every death leaves an average of five grieving people behind, meaning that backlog continues to grow exponentially as each day passes.

“speaking about grief remains an area of public discomfort, and it is important practitioners encourage bereaved people to view grief as a ‘valid’ reason to seek help from health and community services, as well as from those they trust in their communities,” said andy langford, clinical director for cruse bereavement care in the u.k.

“it was heartening that many respondents reported the development of new and expanded services, but it is imperative that these are made sustainable in the longer-term. the need isn’t going away.”

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