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Ham L, Schelin MEC, Fransen HP, Fürst CJ, van der Heide A, Korfage IJ, Raijmakers NJH, van Zuylen L, Hedman C. Death rituals and quality of life of bereaved relatives during the COVID-19 pandemic: Results of the observational CO-LIVE study. DEATH STUDIES 2024:1-10. [PMID: 39260831 DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2024.2400354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/13/2024]
Abstract
Grief is a normal reaction after the death of a loved one. Death rituals are an integral part of the mourning processes. Not being able to carry out death rituals can affect relatives' quality of life. The aim was to evaluate death rituals during COVID-19 and their association with relatives' quality of life. In a Swedish nation-wide study relatives to persons who died during the COVID-19-pandemic received questionnaires about their quality of life and how they could perform death rituals. Association between quality of life and death rituals was analyzed with linear regression. Of the 324 relatives, a minority indicated that their loved one's funeral (17%) met their wishes. Not being able to carry out the funeral as desired was significantly associated with a lower quality of life (p = 0.006). The experiences during the pandemic revealed that it is important for people to perform death rituals according to their wishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurien Ham
- Department of Research & Development, Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organization (IKNL), Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Netherlands Association for Palliative Care (PZNL), Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Maria E C Schelin
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Institute for Palliative Care, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Heidi P Fransen
- Department of Research & Development, Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organization (IKNL), Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Netherlands Association for Palliative Care (PZNL), Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Carl Johan Fürst
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Institute for Palliative Care, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Agnes van der Heide
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ida J Korfage
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Natasja J H Raijmakers
- Department of Research & Development, Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organization (IKNL), Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Netherlands Association for Palliative Care (PZNL), Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Lia van Zuylen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Christel Hedman
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Institute for Palliative Care, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- R&D Department, Stockholms Sjukhem Foundation, Stockholm, Sweden
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Abellana BMM, Ferolino AJP. Transnational grieving: The lived experience of Overseas Filipino Workers who lost their loved ones due to COVID-19. DEATH STUDIES 2024:1-14. [PMID: 38980172 DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2024.2376026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
This study aimed to gain an insight into the lived experience of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who lost their family members due to COVID-19 during the lockdown in 2020. Five OFWs volunteered to participate in this study and underwent online semi-structured interviews. An interpretative phenomenological approach guided the data analysis, through which four major themes were derived: (1) experiencing the emotional strains of unexpected death while physically distant; (2) enduring the absence of traditional mourning rituals; (3) managing grief from a distance; and (4) finding closure through physical and symbolic presence. These findings shed light on how OFWs experienced loss and grief during the lockdown, as well as how they coped amidst the distance and eventually finding a degree of closure.
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Louie P, Hill TD, Upenieks L. Do early life traumas moderate the impact of cumulative pandemic stress on anger? ADVANCES IN LIFE COURSE RESEARCH 2023; 58:100576. [PMID: 38054871 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcr.2023.100576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Do early life traumas condition the psychological consequences of pandemic stressors? Using national data from the Crime, Health, and Politics Survey (May-June 2021), we examine whether early life traumas buffer or amplify the impact of cumulative pandemic stressors (CPS) on anger, an understudied measure of emotional distress. We examine two competing perspectives. The trauma amplification perspective posits that people who experience early life traumas are especially vulnerable to subsequent stressors, while the trauma resiliency perspective suggests the opposite, that people who experience traumas in early life are less vulnerable to subsequent stressors. The trauma resiliency perspective was partially supported by our analyses. Although early life traumas abated the impact of three or more pandemic stressors on anger, we failed to observe any attenuation at lower levels of pandemic stress exposure. We extend previous research by recasting the common stress proliferation model as a stress modification model and by focusing on feelings of anger. Findings are discussed in the context of social stress, mental health, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Louie
- Department of Sociology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Terrence D Hill
- Department of Sociology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Laura Upenieks
- Department of Sociology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
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Cipolletta S, Amato G. Patient experiences of people with leg ulcers during the COVID-19 pandemic. BRITISH JOURNAL OF NURSING (MARK ALLEN PUBLISHING) 2023; 32:S14-S26. [PMID: 37344132 DOI: 10.12968/bjon.2023.32.12.s14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic affected the care of people with chronic leg ulcers (CLUs). AIMS To understand how people with CLUs perceived illness, health care and the public health emergency during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS Twenty people attending a wound care clinic in Northern Italy participated in semi-structured interviews and a thematic analysis was conducted using the software Atlas.ti 9. FINDINGS Results show that most of the participants evaluated their healthcare experience as positive but differed in their perceptions of the changes brought about by the pandemic according to their varied illness experiences and perceived social support. Participants were grouped in four trajectories that provided insight into the construction of personalised support strategies for people with CLUs. CONCLUSION These results may help inform healthcare interventions and policies in the care of long-term conditions such as CLUs during a widespread emergency in future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Guglielmo Amato
- Graduate student, Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Italy
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Marinaci T, Venuleo C, Rollo S, Ferrante L, Semeraro CG, Infurna MR, Nogueira DCOA. Supporting bereaved people: a qualitative study on the experience of informal support providers, before and during the pandemic scenario. DEATH STUDIES 2023; 48:250-266. [PMID: 37226959 DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2023.2216172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 outbreak has further highlighted the need to strengthen support networks to sustain grieving people. However, we know very little about the experience of those who, because of their emotional connection with the bereaved person or of their social function, find themselves supporting people in grief. The current study aimed to analyze the experience of grievers' informal support providers (relatives and friends, teachers, religious leaders, funeral providers, pharmacists, volunteers, and social service workers). 162 in-depth interviews were collected (meanage = 42.3, SD = 14.9; women = 63.6%). Findings highlight two different ways of talking about one's experience and two different ways of offering support. Such dissimilarities do not relate to the period in which support was offered (before or during the pandemic). The results will be discussed in order to highlight emerging training needs to support bereaved people in their difficult transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Marinaci
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - Claudia Venuleo
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - Simone Rollo
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - Lucrezia Ferrante
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | | | - Maria Rita Infurna
- Department of Psychological, Educational, Physical Exercise and Training Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
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Buckley A, Dodd A, Guerin S. Grief and bereavement in the time of COVID-19: a thematic analysis exploring psychotherapists’ observations of clients’ experiences. COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGY QUARTERLY 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/09515070.2023.2186834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Amy Buckley
- School of Psychology, University College Dublin, Belfield, Ireland
| | - Anne Dodd
- School of Psychology, University College Dublin, Belfield, Ireland
| | - Suzanne Guerin
- School of Psychology, University College Dublin, Belfield, Ireland
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Cipolletta S, Previdi S, Martucci S. The Healthcare Relationship during the Second Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study in the Emergency Department of an Italian Hospital. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:2072. [PMID: 36767436 PMCID: PMC9916165 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20032072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic had an impact not only on people's lives but also on the healthcare system. This study aimed to investigate the healthcare relationship in the Emergency Department (ED) of a hospital in northern Italy, during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants (N = 43) consisted of 16 nurses, 6 doctors from the hospital ED, and 21 patients who accessed this department. Semi-structured interviews were carried out and a thematic analysis was conducted. The findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic brought both positive and negative changes to the healthcare relationship that are linked to changes in the organization of the ED and to participants' various experiences of the pandemic. The changes in this relationship should be monitored because they could have long-term effects on healthcare professionals' wellbeing, treatment outcomes, and the healthcare system. The findings from this study could be used to understand these changes and inform intervention strategies to improve the healthcare relationship.
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Filisetti S, Tortora C, Paruta C, Piazza FI, Panzeri M. The sexuality of couples formed during the pandemic: An exploratory study. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0275068. [PMID: 36206270 PMCID: PMC9543687 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Covid-19 has been affecting people's lives on a social, economic, emotional, and sexual level. This study aims to investigate any change in how couples formed during the pandemic got to know the partner and experienced sexuality, including factors that could have influenced those changes in comparison with a pre-pandemic period. Particularly, focus groups (N = 26 women) were conducted and an online questionnaire (N = 120; 41 men and 79 women) was administered. Given the exploratory qualitative nature of the present research, no specific hypothesis was tested. Most of the sample reported an increase in sexual desire, sexual frequency, and quality of intercourse, perceiving an early development of intimacy. The results highlight the lack of stress and fear of contagion. The intense state of euphoria, typical of the initial phase of the relationship, has perhaps allowed the couples to overcome the obstacles due to the restrictions. This study underlines the role of being in love in the survival of the species, as it allows for the creation of steady relationships even in moments of danger.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Filisetti
- Department of General Psychology, Padua University, Padua, Italy
| | - Carla Tortora
- Department of General Psychology, Padua University, Padua, Italy
| | - Cristina Paruta
- Department of General Psychology, Padua University, Padua, Italy
| | - Federica Ida Piazza
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, Padua University, Padua, Italy
| | - Marta Panzeri
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, Padua University, Padua, Italy
- * E-mail:
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De Leo D, Guarino A, Congregalli B, Zammarrelli J, Valle A, Paoloni S, Cipolletta S. Receiving Notification of Unexpected and Violent Death: A Qualitative Study of Italian Survivors. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:10709. [PMID: 36078425 PMCID: PMC9518459 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191710709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
(1) Background: The loss of a significant person can be especially traumatic when death comes without warning and is due to causes such as suicide, murder and accidents. The way an individual is informed about the loss can affect the way of adapting to the loss and the quality of life of survivors. Communication modalities of the notifier may deeply influence the bereavement process. Aim: The present investigation aimed to explore the experience of those who received communication of such a type of death by a professional figure. (2) Method: Snowball sampling was used to recruit the participants to this qualitative study. Social networks, word of mouth and researchers' acquaintances were used, including clients of the NGO De Leo Fund. A total of 52 Italian people (eight males and forty four females, mean age = 49.44; SD = 14.23) who received notification of the death of a loved one by police officers or by health professionals participated in the study. Deaths involved cases of suicide, murder, road accident and mountain accident. (3) Results: The following four key themes were identified: (a) how the communication took place; (b) reactions; (c) support; and (d) coping strategies. Only 22 participants reported having received clear information about the dynamics of what happened; the rest of the sample obtained only poor or ambiguous information. The majority of participants sought or received informal support from family and friends immediately after notification; however, some participants experienced a total lack of support. The opportunity to see the body of the loved one for the last farewell, when denied, caused discomfort in recipients of the news. (4) Conclusions: Even the impactful notification of a traumatic death such as suicide or road accident can be mitigated by the appropriate behaviour and attitude of notifiers, who should always avoid providing generic or ambiguous information about what happened. The notification process should not end with the simple transmission of the communication, but should also look at the following phases by including referral to supportive networks or bereavement services, aimed at assisting individuals in the immediate aftermath but also in the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego De Leo
- Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, Griffith University, Brisbane 4122, Australia
- Slovene Center for Suicide Research, Primorska University, 6000 Koper, Slovenia
- De Leo Fund, 35137 Padua, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Anna Valle
- Autonomous Syndicate of Police (SAP), 00184 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Sabrina Cipolletta
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, 35100 Padua, Italy
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Cipolletta S, Tomaino SCM, Rivest-Beauregard M, Sapkota RP, Brunet A, Winter D. Narratives of the worst experiences associated with peritraumatic distress during the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed method study in the USA and Italy. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2022; 13:2129359. [PMID: 36247840 PMCID: PMC9559052 DOI: 10.1080/20008066.2022.2129359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Although symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been associated with the COVID-19 pandemic experiences, no study has explored yet the association of specific COVID-19 narratives with peritraumatic distress, the precursor of PTSD. Objective: To explore the worst experiences associated with peritraumatic distress during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Adult residents (N = 1098), from the US (n = 741) and Italy (n = 357), completed an online survey including socio-demographic data, COVID-19-related experiences, the Peritraumatic Distress Inventory and an open question on their worst experiences during the first period of the COVID-19 pandemic (April-May 2020). A thematic content analysis (TCA) was conducted on the answers to the open question and a classification and regression tree (CART) analysis was used to identify the themes that best predicted the clinical levels of peritraumatic distress. Results: The main TCA themes related to participants' worst COVID-19 experiences were anxiety, threat, loss, anger, stress and constriction. Threat was the most prevalent theme and correlated with experiences such as being quarantined, being infected and a loved one receiving the diagnosis. US participants' descriptions of their worst experiences related more to life-threat and loss, while Italians reported more threat to the world, stress, social isolation, and feeling trapped. In the CART analysis, the main predictor (79.9%) was perceiving negative effects from the COVID-19 crisis. Among them, a COVID-related threat to self-experience was the most robust predictor. In its absence, being deprived of resources or experiencing high levels of anxiety were other robust predictors. Conclusions: The study provided evidence of the utility of a mixed-method approach in conceptualizing experiences associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and the risk of traumatic symptoms. Its findings may inform healthcare interventions and policies for tackling the new challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. HIGHLIGHTS Clinically significant levels of peritraumatic distress symptoms were prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic.Clinically significant levels of peritraumatic distress during the COVID-19 pandemic were related to experiences of life-threat, resource deprivation, and anxiety, cross-cutting the themes articulated by the thematic content analysis of anxiety, threat, loss, anger, stress and constriction.The US and Italian participants' descriptions of their worst experiences differed in subtle but important ways, with Americans reporting more life-threat and losses compared to Italians reporting more threat to the world, stress, social isolation, and feelings of being trapped.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Marjolaine Rivest-Beauregard
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
| | - Ram P Sapkota
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
| | - Alain Brunet
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
| | - David Winter
- Department of Psychology, Sport, and Geography, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK
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