COVID-19 Deaths in Transnational Settings: Disrupted Bereavement and Pandemic-Related Prolonged Grief Disorder in the Latinx Immigrant Population

Abstract

The Latinx immigrant population experienced one of the highest COVID-19 death rates. Those left behind have exhibited rising rates of mental illness, particularly, pandemic-related prolonged grief disorder. The Latinx immigrant population is uniquely vulnerable to this disorder as a result of disrupted culturally appropriate bereavement practices, constrained social support, and concurrent COVID-19 stressors and immigration-related trauma. Despite a rising call for research on pandemic-related prolonged grief disorder, little is known about the true prevalence, cause, and appropriate treatment protocol behind this disorder in the Latinx immigrant population. Four areas of research critical to the identification and understanding of pandemic-related prolonged grief disorder in this population are recommended: 1) death and bereavement in transnational settings, 2) immigrant social networks and disrupted bereavement, 3) COVID-19 stressors and grieving, and 4) prolonged grief disorder and mental illness comorbidities. An understanding of these four contributing areas to Latinx immigrants’ vulnerability to prolonged grief disorder is imperative to providers’ development of assessments and treatment protocols needed to identify and treat prolonged grief disorder in this population.