Experience of loss and grief among people from Germany who have lost their relatives during the pandemic: the impact of healthcare professionals' support
BackgroundDue to public restrictions during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people were unable to visit and bid a proper farewell to their dying loved ones. This study aimed to address the loss-oriented aspects of grief and bereavement of relatives and relate these to the support the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1230198/full |
| _version_ | 1797741875641188352 |
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| author | Arndt Büssing Klaus Baumann |
| author_facet | Arndt Büssing Klaus Baumann |
| author_sort | Arndt Büssing |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundDue to public restrictions during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people were unable to visit and bid a proper farewell to their dying loved ones. This study aimed to address the loss-oriented aspects of grief and bereavement of relatives and relate these to the support they may have received from their dying relative's caring professionals.Materials and methodsPeople from Germany who experienced bereavement during the COVID-19 pandemic were enrolled in a cross-sectional study between July 2021 and May 2022, using standardized questionnaires (i.e., ICG, Inventory of Complicated Grief; BGL, Burdened by Grief and Loss scale; WHO-5, WHO-Five Wellbeing Index; and 5NRS, perception of burden related to the pandemic).ResultsMost participants (n = 196) had the opportunity to visit their relatives before death (59%). When this was not possible, being burdened by grief and loss was significantly higher (Eta2 = 0.153), while this had no significant influence on complicated grief or psychological wellbeing. Furthermore, 34% of participants felt well-supported by the treatment/care team. Their own support was moderately correlated with BGL scores (r = −0.38) and marginally with ICG scores (r = −15). Regression analyses showed that complicated grief symptoms as the dependent variable were predicted by (low) psychological wellbeing, relational status, and the perception of COVID-19-related burden (R2 = 0.70). In contrast, BGL as the dependent variable can be best explained by the perception of emotional affections because of restricted visits shortly before their death, by the (short) duration of visits before death, and by the relational status (R2 = 0.53). Although both were interconnected (r = 0.44), their predictor pattern was different.ConclusionBeing able to visit dying relatives was important for the mourning and bereavement processes. This emotional aspect was more relevant to the normal, non-pathological grief and loss processes than to complicated grief processes. Support from their dying relatives' treatment/care team was highly relevant to the mourning process, but the visiting relatives often lacked information about additional resources such as psychologists or pastoral care professionals or had limited access to them. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T14:33:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0d0063ba2f8c4214929947560a65ee58 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T14:33:55Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-0d0063ba2f8c4214929947560a65ee582023-08-17T12:18:03ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652023-08-011110.3389/fpubh.2023.12301981230198Experience of loss and grief among people from Germany who have lost their relatives during the pandemic: the impact of healthcare professionals' supportArndt Büssing0Klaus Baumann1Professorship Quality of Life, Spirituality and Coping, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Herdecke, GermanyCaritas Science and Christian Social Work, Faculty of Theology, Albert-Ludwig-University, Freiburg, GermanyBackgroundDue to public restrictions during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people were unable to visit and bid a proper farewell to their dying loved ones. This study aimed to address the loss-oriented aspects of grief and bereavement of relatives and relate these to the support they may have received from their dying relative's caring professionals.Materials and methodsPeople from Germany who experienced bereavement during the COVID-19 pandemic were enrolled in a cross-sectional study between July 2021 and May 2022, using standardized questionnaires (i.e., ICG, Inventory of Complicated Grief; BGL, Burdened by Grief and Loss scale; WHO-5, WHO-Five Wellbeing Index; and 5NRS, perception of burden related to the pandemic).ResultsMost participants (n = 196) had the opportunity to visit their relatives before death (59%). When this was not possible, being burdened by grief and loss was significantly higher (Eta2 = 0.153), while this had no significant influence on complicated grief or psychological wellbeing. Furthermore, 34% of participants felt well-supported by the treatment/care team. Their own support was moderately correlated with BGL scores (r = −0.38) and marginally with ICG scores (r = −15). Regression analyses showed that complicated grief symptoms as the dependent variable were predicted by (low) psychological wellbeing, relational status, and the perception of COVID-19-related burden (R2 = 0.70). In contrast, BGL as the dependent variable can be best explained by the perception of emotional affections because of restricted visits shortly before their death, by the (short) duration of visits before death, and by the relational status (R2 = 0.53). Although both were interconnected (r = 0.44), their predictor pattern was different.ConclusionBeing able to visit dying relatives was important for the mourning and bereavement processes. This emotional aspect was more relevant to the normal, non-pathological grief and loss processes than to complicated grief processes. Support from their dying relatives' treatment/care team was highly relevant to the mourning process, but the visiting relatives often lacked information about additional resources such as psychologists or pastoral care professionals or had limited access to them.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1230198/fullbereavementgrieflosspandemichealth care providerwellbeing |
| spellingShingle | Arndt Büssing Klaus Baumann Experience of loss and grief among people from Germany who have lost their relatives during the pandemic: the impact of healthcare professionals' support Frontiers in Public Health bereavement grief loss pandemic health care provider wellbeing |
| title | Experience of loss and grief among people from Germany who have lost their relatives during the pandemic: the impact of healthcare professionals' support |
| title_full | Experience of loss and grief among people from Germany who have lost their relatives during the pandemic: the impact of healthcare professionals' support |
| title_fullStr | Experience of loss and grief among people from Germany who have lost their relatives during the pandemic: the impact of healthcare professionals' support |
| title_full_unstemmed | Experience of loss and grief among people from Germany who have lost their relatives during the pandemic: the impact of healthcare professionals' support |
| title_short | Experience of loss and grief among people from Germany who have lost their relatives during the pandemic: the impact of healthcare professionals' support |
| title_sort | experience of loss and grief among people from germany who have lost their relatives during the pandemic the impact of healthcare professionals support |
| topic | bereavement grief loss pandemic health care provider wellbeing |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1230198/full |
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