Bereavement is associated with an increased risk of mental illness, but the social disruption of the COVID 19 pandemic raised concerns that losing a close family member during this period might have even greater consequences. A Swedish nationwide study compares mental health following bereavement before and during the pandemic.
The pandemic changed access to health care, social interaction and the ways in which people could grieve following the death of someone close. These circumstances led to concerns that bereavement during the pandemic could carry a greater mental health burden than bereavement under ordinary conditions.
The researchers conducted two nationwide matched cohort studies using Swedish register data. More than 3.8 million individuals were included in the period before the pandemic, from 2018 to 2019, and more than 5.1 million during 2020 to 2021. People who lost a close family member were compared with individuals of similar age and sex who had not experienced a loss.
Bereaved individuals had a higher incidence of mental illness than their non bereaved counterparts in both periods. The risk was particularly pronounced immediately after the loss, with the highest incidence observed during the first ten days. Stress related disorders showed the strongest association with bereavement.
Contrary to expectations, the association between bereavement and mental illness was broadly similar before and during the pandemic. The elevated risk was observed across both periods, including following deaths related to COVID 19. The relative risk was particularly high among children and adolescents and among people with lower education or household income.
The findings emphasise that bereavement itself represents an important period of vulnerability for mental health, regardless of whether the loss occurs during a major societal crisis. The researchers highlight the need to identify people at elevated risk and provide appropriate support following the death of a close family member.
Read more: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmen.0000565