The pain that cannot remain silent: reflections on grief in Covid-19 times

Abstract

Covid-19 caused a high number of losses and changes in the end-of-life care and farewell processes, factors that can add difficulty to the mourning process. Thus, we aim to understand the particularities of grief within the scope of Covid-19, emphasizing the importance of adaptation and creation of strategies to address mental health care in mourning processes. The essay provides a theoretical overview, indicating elements present in the pandemic with the potential to interfere in mourning and presents a survey of initiatives adapted to this context. The pandemic brought changes in the way of experiencing dying. Attempts to mitigate emotional, cognitive and behavioral effects are identified. The moment calls for rethinking concepts and (re)creating understandings about death and grief, emphasizing the importance of a mental health network, with the strengthening of community based actions, recognition of different levels of complexity of demands and organized access to specialized attention.

Keywords:
bereavement; grief; pandemics; psychosocial impact; coronavirus infections