In December 2019 information was circulating about a new virus identified in Wuhan China. The COVID-19 outbreak was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation on 11 March 2020. How the landscape of our daily lives has changed since that time. As the world records over 6.15 million deaths the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live, the way we die and the way we grieve.
Public health restrictions were widely introduced to curtail the spread of the virus and protect health workers. As the pandemic progressed, researchers around the world began to not only put their resources into developing vaccines but also into understanding the psychological and social impact of this new pandemic.
Early predictions were that there would be a silent epidemic of grief and an increase in people experiencing complex grief reactions. It was anticipated that factors associated with a death from COVID-19 such as sudden and unexpected death, death in intensive care, patient isolation, severe symptoms, social distancing measures and restricted visiting pre and post death may increase bereavement related distress.
In this presentation I will reflect on what international research has told us about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patterns of grief and bereavement. In particular, I will report on findings from a large Australian study that examined the mental health outcomes and supports needs of people who were bereaved during the pandemic.
As well as identifying the challenges faced in adapting to this new world I will reflect on the opportunities that have been identified to better understand and adapt our service provision for those who have had to navigate the new map of grief that has been drawn up during a pandemic where it appears, at the beginning, there were no clear instructions.