Jun 11, 2021
This episode features Dr Lucy Selman (Palliative
and End of Life Care Research Group, Population Health Sciences,
Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol,
UK).
Twitter is a rich repository of data reflecting contemporaneous
public opinion. The idea of dying alone is contrary to the concept
of a ‘good death’ in many cultures, and not being able to
say goodbye is a known risk factor for poor bereavement
outcomes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many bereaved people have
been unable to be present when their loved one died due
to setting-specific infection control restrictions that vary
across regions and institutions.
Twitter users expressed sadness, despair, hopelessness and anger
about their experience and loss during the COVID-19 pandemic, with
the challenges they experienced before the death compounded by
a lack of social support and disrupted rituals afterwards. A sense
of political neglect or mistreatment was frequently expressed,
alongside calls for action, but Twitter users also used the
platform to encourage positive public health messages, express
condolences to and support others, and pay tribute to the deceased.
There was ambivalence about the use of video-conferencing
technology, which was often presented as an inadequate substitute,
and frustration and blame were directed at governments’ inaction
and policies as well as the behaviour of the general
public.
Governments should provide clear guidance to support end-of-life
care providers in facilitating and optimising contact with loved
ones, even when strict visiting policies are necessary; this
must include adequate access to personal protective equipment.
Signposting bereaved family members and friends to bereavement
services, and proactively identifying and supporting those
at particular risk of poor outcomes, is as crucial during a
pandemic, as it is in non-pandemic times. Further research is
needed to fully understand the emotional toll expressed in these
tweets and the immediate and sustained impacts of bereavement
during the pandemic.