Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38843213›Full record

ArticlePloS one2024

Support needs of Australians bereaved during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey study.

Serra E Ivynian, Fiona Maccallum, Sungwon Chang, Lauren J Breen, Jane L Phillips, Meera Agar, Annmarie Hosie, Jennifer Tieman, Michelle DiGiacomo, Tim Luckett and 8 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

Serra E IvynianFaculty of Health, IMPACCT, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-6984-8702
Fiona MaccallumFaculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, School of Psychology, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia.
Sungwon ChangFaculty of Health, IMPACCT, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia.
Lauren J BreenCurtin School of Population Health and Curtin enAble Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-0463-0363
Jane L PhillipsFaculty of Health, IMPACCT, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia.
Meera AgarFaculty of Health, IMPACCT, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia.
Annmarie HosieFaculty of Health, IMPACCT, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia.
Jennifer TiemanFaculty of Health Sciences, RePaDD, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
Michelle DiGiacomoFaculty of Health, IMPACCT, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia.
Tim LuckettFaculty of Health, IMPACCT, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia.
Jennifer PhilipDepartment of Medicine, St Vincent's Hospital, University of Melbourne, Fitzroy, VIC, Australia.
Ann DadichSchool of Business, Western Sydney University, Parramatta, NSW, Australia.
Christopher GrossmanBethlehem, Caulfield South, VIC, Australia.
Imelda GilmoreFaculty of Health, IMPACCT, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-8177-5833
Janeane HarlumDistrict Palliative Care Service, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, NSW, Australia.
Irina KinchinCentre for Health Policy and Management, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.
Nicholas GlasgowMedical School, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
Elizabeth A LobbFaculty of Health, IMPACCT, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCOVID-19 disrupted access to bereavement support. The objective of this study was to identify the bereavement supports used by Australians during the COVID-19 pandemic, perceived helpfulness of supports used, prevalence and areas of unmet support need, and characteristics of those with unmet support needs.

methodsA convenience sample of bereaved adults completed an online questionnaire (April 2021-April 2022) about their bereavement experiences including support use and perceived helpfulness, unmet support needs and mental health. Multiple logistic regression was conducted to determine sociodemographic correlates of unmet needs. Open-ended responses were examined using content analysis to determine key themes.

results1,878 bereaved Australians completed the questionnaire. Participants were mostly women (94.9%) living in major cities (68%) and reported the death of a parent (45%), with an average age of 55.1 years (SD = 12.2). The five most used supports were family and friends, self-help resources, general practitioners, psychologists, and internet/online community groups. Notably, each was nominated as most helpful and most unhelpful by participants. Two-thirds (66%) reported specific unmet support needs. Those with unmet needs scored lower on mental health measures. Correlates of unmet needs included being of younger age, being a spouse or parent to the deceased; reporting more impacts from public health measures, and not reporting family and friends as supports. The most frequent unmet need was for social support after the death and during lockdown.

conclusionsThis study demonstrates the complexity of bereavement support needs during a pandemic. Specialised grief therapy needs to be more readily available to the minority of grievers who would benefit from it. A clear recommendation for a bereavement support action plan is to bolster the ability of social networks to provide support in times of loss. The fostering of social support in the wake of bereavement is a major gap that needs to be addressed in practice, policy, and research.

Indexed as

BereavementCOVID-19PandemicsSocial SupportAdultAgedAustralasian PeopleAustraliaCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMental HealthMiddle AgedSARS-CoV-2Surveys and Questionnaires

Identifiers

PMID38843213
PMCPMC11156310

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.