Mental health consequences following the loss of a family member during the Corona pandemic: A multi-methods approach

Approximately 120,000-180,000 Swedes lost a family member due to COVID-19. Moreover, about ten times more individuals lost a family member to other causes during the pandemic.

With pandemic restrictions, bereavement during the pandemic could be particularly challenging, thereby amplifying its adverse mental health consequences.

The mental health consequences and related sick leave following bereavement during the pandemic and the pandemic-specific circumstances and experiences contributing to these adverse outcomes remain unclear. We will use mixed methods combining quantitative and qualitative approaches.

In quantitative analyses, we aim to evaluate the impact of bereavement on mental health using longitudinal data from Swedish nationwide total-population social and health registers.

We will compare bereavement during the pandemic to before the pandemic, in different phases of the pandemic, bereavement due to COVID-19 to other causes of death, and in different population groups.

Meanwhile, we will use qualitative interviews to explore further and identify the pandemic-related circumstances and experiences of people bereaved during the pandemic that may have contributed to adverse mental health outcomes.The project will provide up-to-date information on bereavement´s health and social consequences.

It will generate human-centred policy-relevant knowledge, which can reduce the negative impacts of bereavement in the pandemic and guide policy actions in future health crises.