Bereavement Before and During Covid-19 pandemic: Funeral and Rituals Evaluation, Religious coping and Prolonged Grief Disorder Symptom

Abstract

The funeral service, rituals and religious coping (RC) represent resources bereaved individuals often use to cope with the loss. Research findings are inconsistent regarding the relationship between funeral and ritual evaluation and prolonged grief disorder (PGD) symptoms. Studies show that negative, but not positive, RC can predict PGD symptoms. Covid-19 pandemic has affected bereavement and the related factors. In the present study we explored the impact of funeral and rituals evaluation and religious coping on PGD symptoms before and during the covid-19 pandemic and the impact of the pandemic itself. Confirming our hypotheses, participants who experienced loss during the pandemic evaluated the funeral more negatively and reported more PGD symptoms. Funeral evaluation was found to be associated with PGD symptoms. Regarding RC, negative religious coping (NRC) seemed to explain the variance in PGD symptoms. But, in contrast with our hypothesis, NRC did not mediate the relationship between time of loss (before/ during the pandemic) and PGD symptoms. These findings highlight the need for further research on PGD symptoms and the role of funeral and rituals evaluation and RC in grief experience in the light of covid-19 pandemic.