ArticleFrontiers in public health2026
Support needs, support use and perceived helpfulness of support in a cohort of people bereaved during the COVID-19 pandemic: insights from a longitudinal survey.
Article in Frontiers in public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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10 authors.
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Abstract
Background: The negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on grief outcomes are well documented. However, less is known about the evolving support needs of people bereaved during this time, what support they used and, crucially, how this support helped (or hindered) their coping, with applicability to contemporary bereavement support contexts. Methods: A longitudinal survey of people bereaved during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK, over four time points: baseline (T1; Results: Findings demonstrate high levels of support needs across multiple domains at baseline, with the highest needs relating to managing grief and feelings surrounding the loss (49.9-59.8% across four items), feelings of anxiety and depression (52.8%) and social isolation and loneliness (52.0%). Support needs decreased over time but persisted for those with indicated PGD. Participants primarily relied on support from family and friends, followed by online community and one-to-one support. Those with indicated PGD engaged with all types of support more frequently, yet a third (35.3%) did not access any formal bereavement or mental health support during the first year. The qualitatively described benefits of different support sources reflected their efficacy in meeting support needs, though inadequacies were highlighted, particularly from friends and family. Support preferences for future bereavements most commonly included family and friends, in-person one-to-one support and self-help resources. Conclusion: Findings illustrate the varied emotional and social support needs of bereaved people and how these can be effectively addressed by informal and formal support types. However, dissatisfaction with support from friends and family and under-utilisation of formal support services amongst high-risk groups suggest significant unmet need and missed opportunities, with important implications for improving social/community support and access to a range of support options which reflect individual needs and preferences.
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