The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted every aspect of life, including how we die and how we grieve. This project investigated the mental health effects and support needs of over 2,000 Australians bereaved from any cause during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bereavement during COVID-19 study
The bereavement during COVID-19 study was funded by the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) – Coronavirus Research Response – 2020 COVID-19 Mental Health Research Grant (MRF2005576) to identify the mental health effects and support needs of people who experienced the death of a family member or friend during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aims
- To provide an evidence-base to inform bereavement planning and policy development in future pandemics
- To identify ongoing supports needs for those bereaved during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-2022.
Background
In March 2020 the World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. Australia, like many countries, introduced a range of national and jurisdictional (State/Territory) “COVID‑safe” measures, to slow the spread of the virus (“flatten the curve”), reduce deaths, and protect frontline workers, vulnerable members of the community, and essential industries.
Measures varied across jurisdictions as circumstances changed and knowledge of the virus increased but included social distancing and general mask-wearing mandates, stay-at-home orders, limits to gathering in public, mandated industry shutdowns, quarantine requirements, curfews, and State and international border closures.
Across health settings and aged care facilities there were also requirements for personal protective wear, visiting restrictions and periodic lockdowns, and frontline staff were relocated to other roles including contact tracing, vaccination and testing centres. Together with the widespread community fear of contracting COVID-19, there was significant disruption to culturally expected end-of-life-care and bereavement practices.
National survey and interviews
Over 2000 bereaved Australians completed an online survey (n=2224) detailing the impact of the COVID-19 public health measures on providing end of life care, visiting and saying goodbye at the end of life, funerals, and supports (informal and formal) after the death. A sub-set of 100 bereaved Australians participated in interviews to tell us more about their grief and bereavement experience during the first two years of the pandemic.
The survey is now closed. Survey outcomes will be linked here as they are released.
Media
The “silent epidemic” of grief during the COVID-19 pandemic
Publications
Coming soon
Investigators
Principal investigators
- Professor Liz Lobb
- Dr Fiona Maccallum [opens external site]
- Professor Meera Agar
- Professor Jane Phillips
- Professor Lauren Breen [opens external site]
- Dr Tim Luckett
- Associate Professor Michelle DiGiacomo
- Professor Jennifer Philip [opens external site]
- Professor Jennifer Tieman [opens external site]
- Associate Professor Annmarie Hosie [opens external site]
Associate investigators
- Associate Professor Ann Dadich [opens external site]
- Janeane Harlum [opens external site]
- Imelda Gilmore
- Professor Nick Glasgow [opens external site]
- Dr Sarah Moberley [opens external site]
- Dr Rachel Hughes [opens external site]
- Dr Christopher Grossman [opens external site]
- Camilla Rowland [opens external site]
- Dr Irina Kinchin
- Dr Sugnwon Chang