Herdeiros da COVID-19: lutos de familiares durante a pandemia

Abstract

The pandemic unleashed by the novel coronavirus led to a drastic increase in deaths and, consequently, in mourning people during the crisis period. The imperative of physical distancing to prevent contagion impacted the grieving experiences since it prevented hospital visits, caused changes in funeral and burial practices, and hindered the acquisition of social support. This study aims to comprehensively understand the impacts of the pandemic on the grief experiences of individuals who lost family members due to COVID-19 in the Brazilian context. To achieve this objective, two studies were conducted: the first was a meta-synthesis, and the second was an empirical investigation. Article 1, which is a literature meta-synthesis, aimed to summarize and reinterpret the results of qualitative studies regarding the experience of losing family members during the pandemic through a thematic synthesis. Searches were conducted in the Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and LILACS databases. Among the 602 articles identified, 14 were included. The quality of evidence was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool. Two descriptive themes related to the objective, as well as one analytical theme, were developed, namely, "Pandemic Grief: Lonely and Inconclusive." These themes were interrelated and indicated that experiences of loss in the pandemic context were negatively impacted by the imperatives of physical distancing, restricted hospital visits, technology-mediated communication, and prohibitions or restrictions on funerals. These changes resulted in experiences marked by feelings of loneliness and powerlessness, which should be considered when planning intervention strategies that facilitate communication between family members and the affected loved ones and the healthcare team, allowing for support and creating alternatives for farewell rituals. Article 2 presents a qualitative, cross-sectional, descriptive study with a sample of 10 grieving family members (eight women, aged 21 to 52, time of loss ranging from three to 11 months, four with multiple losses). Data collection took place in July 2021 through individual semi-structured interviews conducted via video call, with audio and video recording, averaging one hour in duration. The interviews, transcribed in full, underwent Thematic Reflective Analysis and were analyzed according to Parkes' theory to identify meanings attributed to the grieving process. The results were organized into two categories, which outlined changes in the experience of space and the subjectivity of time. It was found that the rupture of the assumed world during pandemic times, the impossibility of bidding farewell to the loved one, and low levels of social support complicated the grieving experience during the health crisis. Furthermore, it is considered that grief continues to be experienced long after the death, and time remains an important factor even after the most critical period of the pandemic in Brazil, for planning interventions to provide...