Mourning Experiences of Families of Dead Infected with COVID-19: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Background: With the outbreak of the Coronavirus, many restrictions are imposed on the processes of a funeral procession, funeral ablution, burial, mass mourning, and the memorial gathering of the family, relatives, friends, and neighbors. Objectives: Given the lack of research on the mourning experiences of families of the dead infected with coronavirus, the present study was to fill this gap in the literature. Methods: In this qualitative study, some semi-structured individual interviews were carried out in the Bu Ali Sina Medical Educational Center, Sari, Iran, with 16 individuals of the families of the dead with coronavirus, who were selected using the purposive sampling method. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, encoded, and categorized, and the data analysis was performed using Graneheim and Lundman’s qualitative approach. Guba and Lincoln’s criteria were also adopted to ensure the data reliability and validity. Results: Four main themes (namely psychological, behavioral, and physical reactions, virtual mourning, regretful mourning, and feelings of rejection and fear) and twelve subthemes were extracted from the collected data. Conclusions: According to the research results, COVID-19 changed the personal and social lives of the families with dead infected with Coronavirus from different perspectives. In this regard, providing support to families during the mourning period would help them better adjust with such changes causing the loss of a family member.