ABSTRACT
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic led to an imminent need for specialised interventions to address grief and bereavement due to the nature and extent of losses in the pandemic and social distancing protocols that interfered with usual mourning processes.
Objectives: The current scoping review aimed to (a) identify interventions used to address grief and bereavement during and after the pandemic and (b) elucidate and critically review the nature and components of these interventions.
Methodology: Eligibility criteria included quasi-experimental, observational, uncontrolled pre-post or qualitative studies and Randomised Controlled Trial [RCT] protocols describing delivered psycho-social interventions targeting grief and bereavement, published in peer-reviewed journals in English between March 2020 and October 2022. Five databases were systematically searched for relevant studies worldwide. Two reviewers conducted the abstract and full-text screening. The data were charted by two reviewers using a predefined data extraction template.
Results: Eight hundred and seventeen studies were screened for meeting inclusion criteria, and 16 studies were selected for the review. Psycho-social interventions to address grief and bereavement during COVID-19 tended to be supportive, and brief interventions targeted towards bereaved family members and healthcare workers were delivered by diverse healthcare professionals and through tele-modalities. The primary theoretical models used were Dual Process Model (DPM) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Core components included assessment, addressing basic needs, psychoeducation, processing the emotional pain of grief, readapting to life without the deceased, encouraging community and social connection, promoting self-care, and finding meaning. However, interventions failed to consider a trauma-informed, systemic, or intersectionality lens.
Conclusion: The urgent need for psycho-social interventions to address grief and bereavement during COVID-19 has led to unique trends in the delivery and components of the interventions. Future research and practice can consider these considerations and the limitations when designing similar interventions for grief and bereavement.
