Percepción del duelo de adultos que han perdido a un familiar durante la situación de pandemia en Lima Metropolitana

Abstract

Objective

The aim of this study was to analyse the perceptions of grief in adults who have lost a family member during the pandemic situation in Metropolitan Lima.

Methods

Qualitative research with a reflexive thematic analysis design was carried out. Ten adults of both sexes, between 23 and 54 years old, who had lost a family member as a result of COVID-19, during the pandemic period, participated in the study. A semi-structured interview was administered to them.

Results

The results showed that adults experiencing bereavement due to the loss of a family member in the pandemic scenario perceive their grief at different times. First, there is the impossibility of seeing their loved one due to the biosecurity measures that prevent them from being with their relative, which entails a moment of shock and disbelief; then there is the release of repressed emotions, where dysfunctional thoughts and emotions occur. Later, there is the negotiation of the emotional burden, a period in which there is a reconciliation with the unbridled emotions; followed by the feeling of hopelessness, in which the person experiences deep sadness and lack of meaning in life. Finally, there is an adaptation to the loss.

Conclusions

It is concluded that the perception of grief in adults who lost a family member in the pandemic forms a cycle of grief perception adjusted to the pandemic context.