Virtual Environment

evidence of complicated grief in survivors affected by COVID-19

Abstract

Faced with the public health emergency caused by Covid-19, which created health and humanitarian crises, an inferred consequence is the increased incidence of mourning for parental loss, which may fail to follow the course considered “normal” and become “persistent”. in the face of the unusual pandemic scenario. The objective of this study was to identify, in a group of Brazilian Internet users, evidence of the state of complicated mourning attributed to death due to the consequences of the coronavirus. Based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association, a structured questionnaire containing six objective questions was designed and applied in a virtual environment created specifically for discussions about the death process and dying from Covid-19. 234 people who recognized themselves as bereaved participated in the Survey, of which 50.4% had been mourning for more than a year; 64.1% understand that grief does not ease over time; 73.% do not consider the resumption of quality of life; 21.4% feel that society understands their concerns; 60.7% do not have access to some type of therapy; and 85.7% recognize the internet as the most effective support network for being with their peers. It is concluded that, in the researched group, a substantial portion drew the profile of Complicated Mourning and the other fraction continues tracing the same lines of evidence, which suggests the need for comprehensive care, in view of the effectiveness of mental health promotion and the implementation of disease prevention.