Cases of Prolonged Grief Disorder among people bereaved during the Covid-19 pandemic are likely to be significantly higher than pre-pandemic, indicates new research from Cardiff University and the University of Bristol.
Prolonged Grief Disorder is a mental health condition which can develop caused by the death of someone close, such as a child or partner. It is most likely to occur after a violent or abrupt death.
In the first published longitudinal study of bereavement during the Covid-19 pandemic, the research team investigated the rates of Prolonged Grief Disorder among a cohort of bereaved people.
The study surveyed 711 people bereaved in the UK during the first and second waves of the pandemic (between March 16 2020 and January 2 2021). The researchers followed up with the participants 13 months and 25 months after their bereavement. They found that rates of Prolonged Grief Disorder were significantly higher than during pre-pandemic times.
Pre-pandemic estimates suggest around 10% of bereaved people experience prolonged grief disorder. The study found that during the pandemic over 35% of people who took part in the survey met the criteria for indicated Prolonged Grief Disorder 13 months post-bereavement, and 29% of people met these criteria 25 months after their bereavement
Dr Emily Harrop, Research Fellow from the Marie Curie Research Centre at Cardiff University School of Medicine, said: "The Covid-19 pandemic has been a devastating and enduring mass-bereavement event, with uniquely difficult sets of circumstances experienced by people bereaved at this time.
"We wanted to understand more about the impact that these experiences have had on people, including how coping with and adjusting to a bereavement during the pandemic might be different to non-pandemic times."
