Abstract

SOLA, Pamela; SANTOS, Jorge dos; SANTOS, Manoel Antônio dos  and  OLIVEIRA-CARDOSO, Érika de. Complicating factors of grieving process during the pandemic: bereaved family members’ perspectives. Psic., Saúde & Doenças [online]. 2022, vol.23, n.2, pp.516-523.  Epub Sep 30, 2022. ISSN 1645-0086.  https://doi.org/10.15309/22psd230222.

The coronavirus, detected in Brazil in February 2020, caused more than 600,000 deaths. Considering this reality of losses, this study aims to understand the complicating factors of mourning from the perspective of bereaved family members. This is a qualitative, cross-sectional study, with an intentional sample of ten family members bereaved by losses resulting from COVID-19 (eight women, age between 21 and 52 years, time of loss from three to eleven months, three with multiple losses). Data collection occurred in July 2021, through individual semi-structured interviews conducted by video call, with audio and video recording and an average duration of 60 minutes. The interviews were transcribed in full and submitted to Reflective Thematic Analysis, and analyzed according to Parkes grief theory. The results were organized in four categories, considered the main complicating factors of the bereavement process: (1) restrictions of hospital visits; (2) impossibility of performing or significantly changing farewell ceremonies; (3) physical isolation and lack of social support; (4) quick death. Marked feelings of revolt, despair, and difficulty in accepting the loss stand out. The reports point to the need to understand the impacts of the pandemic on terminality experiences in order to systematize adequate interventions.

Keywords : Grief; Mourning; Complicated grief; COVID-19; Pandemic; Family members.

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