Abstract
In Italy, in the very first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic there was a dramatic rise in mortality. However, families were forbidden because of lockdown regulations to be with their loved ones at their deathbeds or to hold funerals. This qualitative study examined bereavement experiences among family members, how they processed their grief, and how they used social networks in particular by uploading photographs during the working-through of bereavement. The sample was composed of 40 individuals aged 23–63 (80% women) from different Italian cities severely impacted by the virus, including a subgroup from the province of Bergamo, which was the city with the highest mortality rate during that time. All interviews were conducted by phone, Skype, or Zoom. Then, the transcriptions underwent a thematic analysis using Atlas.ti. The main themes that emerged were: abandonment anger and guilt, dehumanized disappeared, derealization and constant rumination, and social support and the importance of sharing photos on Facebook. Importantly, the use of social networks proved to be a valuable source of support and photographs were a powerful tool in facilitating the process of mourning by encouraging narration and sharing. Grief had a complex profile: on the one hand, it was traumatic and characterized by all the risk factors causing mourners to experience prolonged grief, but on the other, some features were similar to ambiguous loss (that occurs without closure and clear understanding) because of the impossibility to be with their relatives in their final moments. The possible relationships between ambiguous loss, the use of internet, and the risk of prolonged grief are discussed.
Highlights
After China, Italy was the first country to suffer the dramatic and unexpected consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic [1, 2]
The sample was composed of 40 individuals aged 23 = 63 (M = 47, SD = 9.85; 80% female) from different Italian cities hard hit by COVID-19
This study lends weight to the claim that the grief caused by COVID-19 can be considered both traumatic and de-legitimized, and in this sense comparable to the effects of ambiguous loss
Summary
After China, Italy was the first country to suffer the dramatic and unexpected consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic [1, 2]. The virus exploded in the last week of February, seriously affecting some provinces in Northern Italy, including Bergamo [3]. The excess deaths (91% of the total mortality rate beyond the national average in March 2020) was concentrated in the period between February 20 (first COVID-19 deaths) and March 31. In March, in the provinces most affected by the epidemic, 280% more deaths were reported (including Bergamo: 568%) [4]. Local communities and health services were overwhelmed by demands for care that they were unable to handle [5]. Many families saw their loved ones get into an ambulance and never return, only to receive their ashes some time later. No funerals could be organized and the bereaved were forbidden to find comfort in a friendly embrace because of the lockdown restrictions
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