Who was the person?

Nature of the attachment?

Mode of Death: natural, accidental, suicide, homicide NASH-M*  (MAID)  

Geographical location? (them and you)

Historical: how a person grieved past losses

Social variables: cultural, ethnic, religious rituals; social supports

Additional COVID factors for some

Many things will impact an individual’s experience of grief:

Who was the person who died and what was our relationship to them?

What was the nature of the attachment?  Did we have a conflicted relationship to the person who died?

How did the person die?  These are terms the coroner assigns:  Natural, Accidental, Suicide, Homicide, Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) The acronym is NASH. We add the “M” because of how people perceive a death when someone receives MAID as part of their end-of-life care.  (Many see it as a legitimate extension of a natural illness, some as a form of suicide, etc.).

Geographical location? (where were you and where were they when they died?)

Historical: how the person has grieved past losses

Social variables: cultural, ethnic, religious rituals; social supports

For some, there may be additional factors because of the pandemic:

Was it a COVID death or Not? Were they separated from their loved one because of isolation protocols? 

Bereavement from deaths (of people to COVID – but also people who have lost loved ones during COVID and couldn’t be there)

Mourning rituals limited or modified – both immediately following the death but ongoing 

May become disenfranchised grief