Emotional State Of Adults In The Process Of Bereavement By COVID-19

Description of the Study:

• Title: Caracterización del estado emocional y espiritual del duelo por COVID-19 en adultos.
• Principal Investigator: José Antonio Tamayo.
• Co-Investigators: Elena García García, Laura Martínez Rodríguez, Feliz Zaragoza, Juan Carlos Fernández, Patricia Acinas, Dolores Nieto and Ana Navea.
• Centers of Implementation: Coordinated by Fundación San Juan De Dios, recruitment not dependent on a health care centre.
• Study Population: 200 subjects over 18 years of age.
• Study Type: Prospective observational study.
• Design: Descriptive study.
• Methods: Descriptive analysis of predictor variables of pathological grief and associated mental pathology.

Objectives of the Study:

Principal Objective: To prospectively describe the evolution of the emotional and spiritual state of adult users of a remote platform for the follow-up and management of grief derived of the loss of a loved one due to COVID-19.

Secondary Objectives:
(1) To find out the socio-demographic, clinical, emotional and spiritual characteristics of adults in bereavement due to COVID-19.
(2) To study the incidence of the risk factors described for the complication of bereavement, complicated bereavement and psychopathological symptomatology in these people.
(3) To identify the variables that can predict the different evolutionary courses of the emotional and spiritual state of these people.
(4) Explore the satisfaction of users with the app in terms of perceived usefulness in regards to managing grief, and whether there are differences in management of grief and in mental health variables depending on their satisfaction.

More about this Study:

Scientific context: Among the multiple situations of loss that we have experienced as people and citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic (restrictions of freedoms, autonomy, health…), is the death of a loved one due to the infection of this coronavirus or due to other circumstances during the confinement and state of alarm. According to Payás (2020), bereavement due to COVID-19 constitutes traumatic grief because it meets the following requirements: speed (lack of time to assimilate), surprise (not anticipating what would happen), uncertainty (waiting time without knowing when it will end), impotence (not being able to respond), incomprehension (lack of adequate information), loneliness at the time of loss (not being able to be supported or contained), loneliness after the loss (absence of restorative relationships), and overflow (high emotional intensity).