The impact of bereavement support on wellbeing: a comparative study between Australia and Ireland

Abstract

Background: There is a dearth of national and international data on the impact of social support on physical, mental, and financial outcomes following bereavement. Methods: We draw from two large, population-based studies of bereaved people in Australia and Ireland to compare bereaved people’s experience of support. The Australian study used a postal survey targeting clients of six funeral providers and the Irish study used telephone interviews with a random sample of the population. Results: Across both studies, the vast majority of bereaved people reported relying on informal supporters, particularly family and friends. While sources of professional help were the least used, they had the highest proportions of perceived unhelpfulness. A substantial proportion, 20% to 30% of bereaved people, reported worsening of their physical and mental health and about 30% did not feel their needs were met. Those who did not receive enough support reported the highest deterioration in wellbeing. Discussion: The compassionate communities approach, which harnesses the informal resources inherent in communities, needs to be strengthened by identifying a range of useful practice models that will address the support gaps. Ireland has taken the lead in developing a policy framework providing guidance on level of service provision, associated staff competencies, and training needs.

Winners and Losers in Palliative Care Service Delivery: Time for a Public Health Approach to Palliative and End of Life Care

“…About 40% of bereaved respondents felt that they did not receive as much support as they wanted from palliative care services during the illness and 50% did not after the patient’s death. Support after death was generally not adequate [ 12 , 15 ]. Although these aspects (emotional and spiritual support for patient and family before death, and bereavement support) are promoted as part of the holistic approach of palliative care, there seems to be in practice a disconnect between what the sector portrays and encourages the community to expect and what is actually delivered by services.…”

Support needs and barriers to accessing support: Baseline results of a mixed-methods national survey of people bereaved during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…As in pre-pandemic studies, people commonly reported lack of understanding and compassion amongst friends and family, alongside difficulties expressing their feelings and asking for help(20-24). We found that these experiences have been exacerbated by the physical isolation and diminished opportunities for in-person support(25,26), the disruption to collective mourning caused by pandemic restrictions, as well as additional concerns over burdening others also experiencing hardship.…”

“…However, there is evidence that bereaved people experience problems getting the right support. These include lack of understanding and compassion amongst family and friends, and difficulties expressing their feelings and needs(20-24). The limited evidence on pandemic bereavement suggests these experiences are intensified by the physical isolation brought about by lockdown and social distancing restrictions, as well as a sense of feeling forgotten(25,26).…”

Palliative and End-of-Life Care Service Models: To What Extent Are Consumer Perspectives Considered?

“…Examples of Australian projects that can contribute to an Essentials Model of Palliative Care [122] include The South West Compassionate Communities Connector Project [123] and The Australian End-of-life and Bereavement Survey [17,18,42,124]. This body of work, innovative in content, conceptual model and recruitment approach, has challenged the existing bereavement support structure and provision and influenced practice and policy in the UK and Ireland [125].…”