911爆料网

911爆料网 research has found people grieving a COVID-related death would benefit from timely support and care to reduce the high risk of experiencing problems in important areas of everyday life.

Published in 鈥楯ournal of Pain and Symptom Management鈥�, the study is the first to focus on psychological factors that explain why people bereaved by COVID-19 might experience challenges in important areas of life, work, leisure, and relationships.

Lead author, Associate Professor Lauren Breen from the 911爆料网 School of Population Health worked with American researchers to survey people in the United States who had lost a close person due to COVID-19 and found key psychological factors such as separation distress, dysfunctional grief, and post-traumatic stress explained why they were having trouble coping in key areas of life.

鈥淓xisting research shows that grief from deaths during the pandemic was felt more acutely than that following both deaths before the pandemic, and deaths from other natural causes,鈥� Associate Professor Breen said.

鈥淭his exacerbation of grief is due to the necessary restrictions that affect people鈥檚 access to dying loved ones, limit their participation in important rituals like funerals, and reduce the physical social support they would otherwise receive from friends and family.鈥�

鈥淭here is a real need for strategies such as the integration of psychological care into palliative care to facilitate efficient and cost-effective means of supporting people who are grieving,鈥� Associate Professor Breen said.

鈥淏etter screening and assessment of bereaved people is also required, along with more accessible support services, development of improved therapies and grief interventions, and an increased number of grief specialists in the workforce.鈥�

The full paper, 鈥楶sychological Risk Factors of Functional Impairment Following COVID-19 Deaths鈥�, can be found online .