Online Article: Grief During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Considerations for Palliative Care Providers

Published in July of this year, this US paper discusses the COVID-19 pandemic and the anticipatory grief, disenfranchised grief, and complicated grief experienced by individuals, families, and their providers.  It looks at how to counter the grief through communication, advance care planning, and self-care practices.  Resources for health care providers are provided along with a request to palliative care providers to consider their own role as a resource to other specialties during this public health emergency.

Wallace, C. L. et al. 2020. Grief during the Covid-19 pandemic: considerations for Palliative Care Providers.  Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 60 (1) p e70 - e76.

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Article: Digital legacies with people affected by motor neurone disease

Little is known about how to best support young people (24 years and under) when a family members dies form motor neurone disease.  One potential solution is through use of a digital legacy whereby videos which documents a person's life memorial and achievements are purposely recorded by an adult during their illness.  This study aimed to investigate whether this supports or hinders a young persons' bereavement.  Twenty healthcare professionals, specialists and experts were recruited and interviewed in their work place or by telephone. It found the use of digital legacies to be a feasible and valuable method to support young people bereaved as a result of motor neurone disease.

Clabburn, O. et al.  2019. Digital legacies with people affected by motor neurone disease: The views, experiences and perceptions of healthcare professionals, specialists and experts for use with bereaved young people. Bereavement Care; 2019; vol. 38 (no. 2-3); p. 68- 75.

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Report: Fresh eyes approach: caring to the end - shining a spotlight on bereavement and mortuary services

The Fresh Eyes method is part of a Hospice UK and NHS End of life Care project to improve care for patients at end of life, cared for in acute NHS hospitals.  It undertakes a "walk through" of a potential patient / relatives journey. This report summarises Hospice UK’s learning from their walk through of post death care, bereavement centres and mortuary services in 12 acute hospital trusts across England, taking part in two end of life care hospital improvement programmes supplemented with an analysis of mortality data.  Published November 2019.

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Article: Do the Welsh have it? Evaluating a bereavement support service supporting people bereaved by dementia

Research has shown that carers who report higher levels of pre-death grief are at greater risk of complicated grief after their loved one has died.  The Bereaved by Dementia project was set up to address the bereavement needs of people bereaved by dementia throughout Wales.  This report summaries the findings, recommendations and suggestions for future research.

Roleston, C, et al. 2019.  Do the Welsh have it?  Evaluating a bereavement support service supportive people bereaved by dementia.  Bereavement Care, 38 (2-3) p 104-108

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Article: UK Childhood bereavement services:

This paper is a reflection on the development of childhood bereavement services.  It describes the early days of service growth, outlines three challenges the services currently face before considering their impact on the wellbeing of bereaved children.

Rolls, L. 2019. UK childhood bereavement services: A reflection on their development and cultural influence.   Bereavement Care, 2019, 38 (2-3) p 91-103.

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Article: Group singing in bereavement: effects on mental health, self-efficacy, self-esteem and well-being

This UK study recruited 58 adults who had been bereaved due to cancer in the last 5 years were recruited and elected to join a choir (n=29) or participate in the non-intervention control group (n=29).  Joining a choir involved engaging in 90 minute weekly singing and social sessions for 12 weeks with a post intervention assessment at 24 weeks.  Participants who sang in a choir had more stable symptoms of depression and levels of well being as well as gradual improvements in in self-esteem.  In contrast, the control group showed gradual increases in depressive symptoms and reduction in levels of well-being.  The authors conclude weekly singing could be a promising mutual support intervention for people experiencing grief.

Fancourt, D. 2019. Group singing in bereavement: effects on mental health, self-efficacy, self-esteem and well-being.  BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, epub ahead of print September 2019.

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Article: Interventions available to adolescents and young adults bereaved by familial cancer: a systematic review of the literature

This Australian study looked at the interventions available to adolescents and young adults (AYA's) between the ages of 15 and 25 bereaved by a parent or sibling's cancer.  A systematic review of the literature was carried out.  Twenty two interventions were identified that were available for bereaved young people, however only 3 were specific to young people bereaved by familial cancer and none were specific to AYA's.  Interventions primarily provided opportunities for participants to have fun, share their experiences and/or memorialise the deceased.  Psychoeducation about bereavement, grief and coping was less common. Only a small number of interventions had bene evaluated and overall the evidence was very limited.  The authors conclude it is unclear at present which interventions currently available would benefit AYA's and further development and evaluation is needed.

Ing, V. 2019. Interventions available to adolescents and young adults bereaved by familial cancer: a systematic review of the literature.  BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, epub ahead of print. August 2019.

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Article: The use of digital legacies with people affected by motor neurone disease

The aim of this study was to investigate the views and experiences of people living with motor neurone disease (MND) creating a video based digital legacy to pass on to a family member.   The study consisted of 4 people living with the disease, and 3 young people who had been bereaved and had access to the legacy. The study found the creation of the legacy provided a sense of purpose for people with MND and for the bereaved family member a sense of comfort, once they had reached an appropriate place within their grief journey.

Clabburn, O. et al. 2019.  The use of digital legacies with people affected by motor neurone disease for continuing bonds: an interpretive phenomenological analysis study.

Available online

Article: Young people and their understanding of loss and bereavement

A significant proportion of secondary school pupils in the UK have experienced the death of someone close to them.  The aim of this study was to explore how pupils aged between 12 and 18 understand major loss, death and dying, whom they talk to and the support they chose to access at these times.   The findings showed that young people primarily seek support from family and friends, but the role of peers is less well recognised by parents and teachers.  The school as a source of support was mainly recognised by teachers.

Scott, R. et al. 2019. Young people and their understanding of loss and bereavement.  Bereavement Care, 38 (1) p 6 - 11.

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Report: Care after caring: supporting family carers facing and following bereavement

This report aims to share good practice and ideas to improve outcomes for bereaved carers. It sets out what we know already about carers facing and managing bereavement and some of the recommendations to improve support. The report ends with 12 examples of local good practice support.

Hospice UK, and the National Bereavement Alliance. 2019.  Care after caring: supporting family carers facing and following bereavement. 

Available online

Article: From a good death to a better bereavement? The impact of the end of life experience on bereavement adjustment

To date, the majority of research into a good death has focused on the experience of the person who is dying.  Taking the perspective of bereaved individuals, this qualitative study explores which elements of the end of life experience constitute a good death and how these elements influence the process of bereavement adjustment. Following interviews with ten bereaved adults four themes were identified which together define a good death; a lack of physical distress, emotional resolution, 'naming death as death' and death 'at the right time'. The value of open communication prior to death is highlighted.  For those in palliative care settings, potentially modifiable elements of the end of life experience which may support better bereavement are suggested.

Wakenshaw, C. & Sillence, E. 2018. From a good death to a better bereavement? The impact of the end of life experience on bereavement adjustment, a thematic analysis. Bereavement Care, 37(3) p 109 - 117

Article: Mending the heart and mind during times of loss: a review of interventions to improve emotional well-being during spousal bereavement

An article from the US, it reviews evidence for current pharmacological and psychotherapeutic approaches to normal bereavement, complicated grief, and bereavement related depression.  It then explores novel interventions to promote adaptive emotion regulation and reduce depressive symptoms.

Shahane, A. et al. 2018. Mending the heart and mind during times of loss: a review of interventions to improve emotional well-being during spousal bereavement.  Bereavement Care, 37 (2) p 44 - 54.

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Article: Supporting parents and children prior to parental death in an NHS Setting

This article discusses the work at a Scottish Hospice to enable parents to prepare themselves and their children for parental dying.  It discusses the need to work as early as possible through each stage of the bereavement journey and working with school staff and other services to ensure that everyone concerned has the information they need to support the children and young people concerned.

Macpherson, C. 2018. Supporting parents and children prior to parental death in an NHS Setting.  Bereavement Care, 37 (2) p 67 - 73.

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