Grief and Depression in Relatives of Deceased Individuals during Social Isolation. Risk and Protective Factors

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the loss of thousands of lives, leading to a global phenomenon where numerous families are undergoing a grieving process. Simultaneously, health restrictions to prevent the disease´s transmission have prevented individuals from bidding farewell to their loved ones and conducting cultural farewell rituals. Through a cross-sectional study, we investigated, via social media surveys, the Mexican population that experienced the death of a close family member from November 2020, regardless of the cause. The aim was to determine whether those who did not have the opportunity to say goodbye to their loved one prior to their death and/or those who could not perform farewell rituals according to their culture were at a different risk of developing depressive disorders and/or complicated grief compared to those who did have the opportunity to bid farewell and practice their rituals. Contrary to our initial hypothesis, we found no statistically significant difference in the likelihood of developing major depressive disorders or complicated grief based on whether individuals said their goodbyes or not. However, we did identify risk and protective factors by analyzing other variables such as the initiation or increase in substance consumption following the loss, religious attachment, and age.