Complicated Grief: What to Expect After the Coronavirus Pandemic
Open accessAbstract
The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the worst public health crises in a century, with an expected amount of deaths of several million worldwide and an even bigger number of bereaved people left behind. Although the consequences of this crisis are still unknown, a significant number of bereaved people will arguably develop Complicated Grief (CG) in the aftermath of this emergency. If the current pandemic is unprecedented, the grief following the coronavirus outbreak is likely to share features with grief related to natural disasters and after Intensive Care Unit (ICU) treatment. The aim of this paper is to review the most prominent literature on CG after natural disasters, as well as after diseases requiring ICU treatment. This body of evidence may be useful for helping bereaved people during the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and for drawing clinical attention to people at risk for CG.
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The COVID-19 crisis has combined various mental health stressors that have been assessed individually in other contexts yet never been seen together, since this is an unprecedented global disaster.
“The COVID-19 crisis has combined various mental health stressors that have been assessed individually in other contexts yet never been seen together, since this is an unprecedented global disaster (Gesi et al., 2020).”
From Prolonged grief disorder treatment: An approach to COVID-19 grief (2023) · cites this paper as Gesi et al., 2020
Living alone after the death of a loved one is associated with the presence of symptoms of prolonged grief.
“Since living alone after the death of a loved one has been associated with the presence of symptoms of prolonged grief, it is important to provide bereaved family members with effective social support (Gesi et al., 2020).”
From Prolonged grief disorder treatment: An approach to COVID-19 grief (2023) · cites this paper as Gesi et al., 2020
Involving family members in decision-making correlates with a reduction in symptoms of prolonged grief among survivors.
“Involving family members in decision-making correlates with a reduction in symptoms of prolonged grief among survivors.”
From Prolonged grief disorder treatment: An approach to COVID-19 grief (2023) · cites this paper as Gesi et al., 2020
The possibility of reducing the psychological impact on those in mourning during this pandemic is limited, since only a few risk factors for prolonged grief can be altered through intervention.
“The possibility of reducing the psychological impact on those in mourning during this pandemic is limited, since only a few risk factors for prolonged grief can be altered through intervention (Gesi et al., 2020).”
From Prolonged grief disorder treatment: An approach to COVID-19 grief (2023) · cites this paper as Gesi et al., 2020
Mental health issues may also arise from the disease itself, such as grief from loss of lives, opportunities, and employment.
“Mental health issues may also arise from the disease itself, such as grief from loss of lives, opportunities, and employment [7–9].”
From Mental Health Impact of COVID-19 among Children and College Students: A Systematic Review (2023) · cites this paper as [8]
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Mental Health Impact of COVID-19 among Children and College Students: A Systematic Review
Elharake, J. A., Akbar, F., Malik, A. A., Gilliam, W., & Omer, S. B. (2023) · Child Psychiatry & Human Development · doi:10.1007/s10578-021-01297-1 · Cited by 279 · see citing works
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Thompson, R. R., Holman, E. A., & Silver, R. C. (2019) · JAMA Network Open · doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.6228 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Prolonged grief disorder treatment: An approach to COVID-19 grief
Martínez-Medina, C. B., & Rodríguez-Orozco, A. R. (2023) · Salud Mental · doi:10.17711/sm.0185-3325.2023.021 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
“The COVID-19 crisis has com - bined various mental health stressors that have been as - sessed individually in other contexts yet never been seen to - gether, since this is an unprecedented global disaster (Gesi et al., 2020).”
Influential
- Authors
- Gesi, C., Carmassi, C., Cerveri, G., Carpita, B., Cremone, I. M., & Dell'Osso, L.
- Affiliations
- ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco (IT)
- University of Pisa (IT)
- Aziende Socio Sanitarie Territoriale Lodi (IT)
- Corresponding author
- Gesi, Camilla
- Venue
- Frontiers in Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Frontiers Media SA
- Published
- 2020-05-26
- Volume
- 11
- Pages
- 489-489
- ISSN
- 1664-0640 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC7264152
- OpenAlex
- W3028897200
- Cited by
- 207
- References
- 39
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 33 · 2023: 43 · 2022: 62 · 2021: 39 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 1
- FWCI
- 2.95
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Frontiers in Psychiatry (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- CINECA IRIS Institutial research information system (University of Pisa) (submittedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
- Social Sciences › Anthropology › Death, Funerary Practices, and Mourning
- Keywords
- complicated grief, COVID-19 pandemic, bereavement, natural disasters, intensive care unit survivors, bereaved people
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