Bereaved ‘struggling to access support’
The majority of people seeking help with their grief have struggled to access bereavement services during the coronavirus pandemic, research suggests.
Many people struggling after a bereavement faced long waiting lists for support or were told they were not eligible, according to a study by Cardiff University's Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Centre and the University of Bristol.
Others reported discomfort asking for help and were unsure how to access services, researchers found.
The survey, of 711 adults bereaved last year, is believed to be the first to highlight the experiences of those trying to get support after the death of a loved one during the pandemic.
It is published on the Medrxiv website and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council as part of UK Research and Innovation's rapid response to Covid-19.
The survey found that the
pandemic has had a major impact on quality of support and has "disrupted collective mourning practices", which has increased people's feelings of isolation.
Most participants had not tried to obtain support, but more than half (56 per cent) of those who did experienced difficulties.
The authors want information on bereavement services to be pro-actively provided after a death. The Government is to launch a UK Commission on Bereavement. Nadine Dorries, minister for bereavement, will respond to the research during a speech today.