'Feeling disconnected' - risk factors for PGD and themes in grief counselling during the COVID-19 pandemic. A mixed-method study.

Background: Due to its high death toll and measures to curb the pandemic, COVID-19 has affected grieving experiences and may contribute to risk factors for Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD). Persons at risk for PGD often seek support from grief counselling.Objective: To explore whether pandemic-associated risk factors have become more important topics in counselling in a mixed-method design.Method: German grief counsellors (n = 93) rated whether pre-defined risk factors had become more important in grief counselling and indicated additional important themes in an open format.Results: The counsellors indicated that all pre-defined risk factors had become more important, though differing significantly in their frequency. Most frequently endorsed risk factors were lack of social support, limited possibilities to accompany a dying loved one and absence of traditional grief rituals. Qualitative analysis identified three additional themes: the societal impact of the pandemic, its impact on bereavement support and health care, and a chance for personal growth.Conclusions: The pandemic has affected bereavement experiences and grief counselling. Counsellors should monitor grief processes and specific risk factors to provide the best possible care for bereaved people when needed.

Pandemic-associated risk factors for PGD have become more important topics in grief counselling during COVID-19.Risk factors include especially a lack of social support, limited possibility to accompany a dying significant other and absence of traditional grief rituals.Future research is needed to investigate whether monitoring and addressing these risk factors can improve bereavement care.

Grief Reactions and Grief Counseling among Bereaved Chinese Individuals during COVID-19 Pandemic: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial Combined with a Longitudinal Study.

COVID-19 has caused nearly 4.3 million deaths all around the world. People who have experienced loss during this special period may find it difficult to adapt to life after loss, and may even suffer from prolonged grief disorder or other mental health problems. However, there is a huge gap of grief research in China, with almost no comprehensive grief intervention training system or very few professional grief consultants. Considering the large number of bereaved individuals who are suffering from grief and other mental health problems, it is significant to develop a suitable and effective intervention protocol immediately. This article illustrates a study protocol initiated by a Chinese university to investigate the mental health of bereaved individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic and train grief counselors to provide grief counseling to the bereaved, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of the grief counseling. The method is as follows: (1) 300 psychological counselors will be recruited to attend the grief counseling training. Assessments will be conducted at three time points: baseline (T0), after the basic training (T1), and after the advanced training (T2); (2) 500 bereaved Chinese will be recruit to join the online survey and will be assessed at two time points with a six-month interval; and (3) a two-armed (grief counseling versus wait-list controls) RCT (random control trials) will be conducted with 160 bereaved individuals. Assessments will be conducted at three time points: before randomization (baseline, T0), at the post-counseling (T1), and three months after the post-counseling (T2). Primary outcomes will be assessed by the Prolonged Grief Questionnaire (PG-13), the 20-item PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI). This research will help develop grief research and grief counseling in China, as well as provide professional mental health services for individuals who may suffer from grief-related disorders in the future.

Cross-Sectional Survey to Assess Health-Care Workers' Grief Counseling for Bereaved Families of COVID-19 Victims in Wuhan, China.

OBJECTIVE: This research aimed to examine health-care workers' grief counseling for bereaved families of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) victims in China. Our research may provide a new opportunity to stimulate development of grief counseling in China. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 724 health-care workers selected by convenience sampling from 7 hospitals in Wuhan. Data collection tools included a sociodemographic questionnaire, the skills of grief counseling scale (SGCS), and the attitudes of grief counseling scale (AGCS). RESULTS: The average SGCS score was 18.96 ± 4.66, whose influencing factors consisted of sense of responsibility, frequency of contact with bereaved families, and relevant training (P < 0.05). The average AGCS score was 33.36 ± 8.70, whose influencing factors consisted of other grief counseling skills, communication skills, education background, and relevant training (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The skills and attitudes toward grief counseling among health-care workers combating COVID-19 were at a lower level in Wuhan, China, indicating the need to build a comprehensive grief counseling system, establish a standardized training course, and strengthen the popularization of grief counseling services to the public.

Status of grief counseling for medical workers from coronavirus disease 2019 designated hospitals in Wuhan. / 武汉市2019å† çŠ¶ç— æ¯’ç— å®šç‚¹åŒ»é™¢åŒ»æŠ¤äººå‘˜å“€ä¼¤è¾ å¯¼çŽ°çŠ¶.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the attitudes and skills of grief counseling in the front-line medical workers from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) designated hospitals in Wuhan for the bereaved family members and to provide the basis for proper hospital management strategies. METHODS: The convenience sampling method was applied to select 422 medical workers who kept touch with the bereaved family members in five COVID-19 designated hospitals in Wuhan from January to February 2020. Questionnaire regarding grief counseling attitudes and questionnaire regarding grief counseling skills were used to evaluate the attitudes and skills of grief counseling in medical workers. The scores of grief counseling attitudes and skills in group of different characteristics were further compared. Pearson correlation was used to analyze the attitudes and skills of grief counseling in medical workers. RESULTS: The scores of grief counseling attitudes in medical workers were 15-46 (33.00±9.31). Length of service, professional title, whether or not receiving relevant training, frequency of contact with bereaved family members contributed to impacting the medical workers' attitudes of grief counseling (all P<0.05). The scores of grief counseling skills in medical workers were 9-30 (19.30±4.42). Length of service, professional title, religion, whether or not receiving relevant training, frequency of contact with bereaved family members contributed to impacting the medical workers' skills of grief counseling (all P<0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between the attitudes and skills of grief counseling in the medical workers (r=0.608, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The attitudes and skills of grief counseling in the medical workers from COVID-19 designated hospitals in Wuhan still need to be improved. Grief counseling group and a long-term, comprehensive training system are recommended.