Grief and bereavement in the time of COVID-19: a thematic analysis exploring psychotherapists’ observations of clients’ experiences

Abstract

Research published at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic predicted additional complexity and difficult experiences for those who experience grief and bereavement in this context. The current study aimed to explore the observations of professionals who have worked with grieving clients during the pandemic. This qualitative study targeted psychotherapists with experience of supporting bereaved and grieving clients during the COVID-19 pandemic. A sampling frame of psychotherapists specialising in bereavement was generated from the website of a professional body and potential participants were randomly selected for invitation. Snowball sampling was used as a supplementary method. An inductive thematic analysis was used to generate themes based on 10 interviews. Six key themes were identified; “Restricted access to dying loved ones,” “Cut off from expected supports and ways of grieving,” “Scope to find positives in the changed experience of grief,” “Enhanced emotions,” “Loss of focus on individual grief,” and “Additional complexities surrounding a COVID-19 death.”. The findings provide support for predictions made around additional complexity for grieving persons during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they also demonstrate the potential for bereaved persons to find positives in their grief experience. These findings have implications for professional practice, policy, and future research directions.