Long-term bereavement outcomes in family members of those who died in acute care hospitals before and during the first wave of COVID-19: A cohort study
Update: 2024-03-13
Description
This episode features Dr Fiona Kenney and Koby Anderson, (Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada)
What is already known about the topic?
- Previous research demonstrates a high prevalence of severe grief symptoms up to a year post-death of a loved one among those who experienced bereavement during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- No previous study has assessed changes in the severity of grief more than a year after the death of a loved one during the COVID-19 pandemic.
What this paper adds?
- This prospective cohort follow-up study found the prevalence of severe grief reaction remained high (28.8%) at 12–18 months post- family member death.
- One-third (33.3%) of family members experienced persistently high or worsening grief symptoms at the time of their 12–18-month assessment compared to baseline 6–12-month assessment.
- Grief severity was associated with endotracheal intubation in the deceased, but not with the cause of death (e.g., COVID vs non-COVID illness) or physical presence/absence of the family member at the bedside in the final 48 h of life.
Implications for practice, theory, or policy
- There is a persistent, elevated risk of severe grief among family members who experience bereavement during the pandemic period, even up to 18 months post-death of the decedent.
- There is an urgent need for effective and scalable means of addressing severe grief in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Full paper available from:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/02692163231223394
If you would like to record a podcast about your published (or accepted) Palliative Medicine paper, please contact Dr Amara Nwosu:
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