Real and symbolic grief experiences during COVID-19 pandemic: An integrative literature review
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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31211/rpics.2024.10.2.340Keywords:
Grief, COVID-19, Mental Health, Symbolic Losses, Review StudyAbstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly altered the ways of experiencing grief, with restrictions on funeral rituals and social isolation. Aim: The aim was to analyze scientific production on grief experiences during the pandemic, focusing on real and symbolic losses. Methods: An integrative literature review was carried out through two reviewers, selecting 65 full-text articles published between 2020 and July 2023 in Portuguese, English, or Spanish, in PubMed, SciELO, PePSIC, MEDLINE, LILACS, and Index PSI, located from the combination of the descriptors "Luto," "Grief," "Bereavement," "Aflicción," and "COVID-19". Results: The results showed the prevalence of qualitative studies in English conducted with bereaved family members, published in the third year of the pandemic. The qualitative data were organized into three categories: 1) Grief Experiences in COVID-19, which addresses grief experiences across various cultures, societies, professional groups, and healthcare settings during the pandemic; 2) Sociocultural and Health Implications of Ritual Suppression, which discusses the sociocultural and health impacts on the bereaved resulting from the suppression of funeral and farewell rituals; and 3) Interventions and Support Strategies, which examines strategies used to support bereaved family members and reduce mental health damage. Conclusions: The changes imposed by the pandemic on the experiences of grief impacted the mental health of the bereaved. Longitudinal studies are needed to assess the long-term consequences in different cultures and guide prevention and care actions.
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