Pandemic grieving a ‘perfect storm’
Situation apt to lead to mental health stress
A year of grieving loved ones lost to the pandemic while remaining socially isolated and dealing with other stressors such as unemployment is creating the “perfect storm” for mental health issues, according to a Harvard expert.
“Grief alone is very painful, and we are not meant to grieve alone. And we are forced now to grieve alone, oftentimes in isolation,” said Christy Denckla, epidemiology research associate at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a member of the psychiatry faculty at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Throughout the pandemic, many people have experienced grief without the cultural or religious rituals such as funerals and wakes that help to recognize, acknowledge and process a death, Denckla said.
Those emotions occur against a backdrop of other stressors, including unemployment, school closures, financial struggles and lack of creative outlets.
More than 513,000 Americans have died from COVID19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Denckla said, “I’m very concerned how people are coping with this loss right now. Digitally connecting is helpful, but of course it doesn’t replace in-person connection.”
She said the combination of the stressful factors creates a “perfect storm” for clinically impairing mental health conditions during a time when many professionals are maxed out with patients.
The mounting deaths can elicit a numbing feeling for many people, which can sometimes be protective, according to Denckla.
“Right now what is happening is that we are very much in the middle of this. This is not over. This is still ongoing. And it’s very difficult to stop and acknowledge and process when it is still happening,” Denckla said.
People are not only grieving friends and family members that have succumbed to the coronavirus, but also missed opportunities, experiences and celebrations — which take an additional toll.
But taking action to improve mental health such as exercising, eating and sleeping well can help. Denckla also recommends practices such as writing letters to the deceased, buying flowers for them or making art to honor them.
“I do believe we are deeply resilient and I do believe that, you know, the prevalence of things like prolonged grief disorder, it’s not the full population,” said Denckla, adding that many people can overcome the pain associated with grief.
“We can experience the pain,” She said. “We can survive it.”