Correlates of Mental Health After COVID-19 Bereavement in Mainland China

Abstract

Context. Pioneering empirical studies show that people bereaved due to COVID-19 experience elevated acute grief, posttraumatic stress, anxiety, and depressive symptom levels, which relate to functional impairment. However, studies focused on Western samples and multivariate analyses of relations between potential risk factors and mental health in this population are lacking.Objectives. To assess the mental health of Chinese adults bereaved due to COVID-19. To elucidate the associations of demographic and loss-related characteristics with mental health after COVID-19 bereavement.Methods. Four hundred twenty-two Chinese adults (56% male; Mean age: 32.73 years) recently bereaved due to COVID-19 completed an online survey. Demographic and loss-related characteristics and prolonged grief, posttraumatic stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms were assessed.Results. Clinically relevant prolonged grief (49%, n = 207), posttraumatic stress (22%, n = 92), depressive (70%; n = 294), and anxiety symptoms (65%; n = 272) were reported by a substantial group of participants. In four multiple regressions predicting each mental health indicator, Fs(15,406) = 5.08−7.74, Ps < 0.001, loss-characteristics (i.e., a shorter time since loss, bs = -.12−.11, loss of a first-degree relative, bs = .18-.37) and subjective loss experiences (i.e., feeling traumatized by the loss, bs = .13-.18, or a close and/or conflictual relation with the deceased, bs = .12-.23) related most consistently to mental health problems.Conclusion. Many Chinese adults bereaved due to COVID-19 experience severe mental health problems. The recent loss of first-degree relatives, feeling traumatized by the loss, and having a close and/or conflictual relationship with the deceased may elevate risk for these mental health problems, which could require indicated psychological treatment. J

Profiles of grief, post-traumatic stress, and post-traumatic growth among people bereaved due to COVID-19

“…Considering that death from COVID-19 may be perceived as a traumatic event by the bereaved person, researchers need to heed the post-traumatic stress symptoms. The prevalence of post-traumatic stress symptoms was 22% in the Chinese bereaved due to COVID-19 (Tang, Yu, Chen, Fan, & Eisma, 2021), and post-traumatic stress explained 13% of the variance of functional impairment among American individuals bereaved due to COVID-19 (Breen et al, 2021).…”

Are public health measures and individualised care compatible in the face of a pandemic? A national observational study of bereaved relatives’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…This research represents the first UK study of bereaved relatives' views about quality of care and family support provided during the last days of life and highlights the challenges and emotions experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 studies from the Netherlands, United States and China, [22][23][24][25] have explored acute grief and the psychological impact during the bereavement period. This study, however, closely examines the quality of the dying experience which can have subsequent impact on grief.…”

Can closed‐off management in communities alleviate the psychological anxiety and stress caused by the COVID‐19 pandemic?

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“…44 Therefore, the effective implementation of the closed-off management model in communities has intercepted the transmission chain of the COVID-19, decreased the possibility of residents being exposed to the COVID-19, and significantly improved residents' satisfaction with and confidence of the residents in pandemic prevention and control. Many studies demonstrated that satisfaction with and confidence in pandemic prevention and control exerted a negative effect on risk perception 45 ;…”