Table 2.
Categories and illustrative examples of the qualitative analysis.
| Category | Number of coding units allocated (k) | Illustrative examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lack of social support | 10 | ‘Little physical contact, feeling more disconnected’ (participant 16) ‘Lack of exchange with other bereaved persons, not being able to spend supportive time with other people’ (participant 20) ‘Building and maintaining a functioning social net’ (participant 29) |
| ‘Social withdrawal because of fear of Corona’ (participant 25) | ||
| 2. Loss of routines | 5 | ‘Little or no continuation of familiar group experiences (associations, sports groups etc.)’ (participant 16) |
| ‘Having more time on one’s hands during lockdown to spend on one’s innermost thoughts and feelings’ (participant 11) ‘Being confronted with oneself, because there was less distraction and less social involvement, which in turn created more stress’ (participant 19) |
||
| 3. Additional stressors | 4 | ‘You cannot make plans when there is no knowing when everything will be back to “normal”’ (participant 23) ‘There is little spontaneity possible for families to share their grief and mourn’ (participant 16) |
| ‘increasing worries about other family members’ (participant 6) | ||
| 4. Societal impact of the pandemic | 3 | ‘Many conversations concern the issue that people perceive Corona regulations occasionally as extremely restrictive and partly inconsistent or incomprehensible. Their own everyday experiences do not fit the picture that the media communicate as the present reality. (…)’ (participant 21) ‘The topic “Corona death” has become a public topic. The individual fates remain mostly unseen. Clients describe that the permanent confrontation with this topic is very straining. Corona deaths are just presented as numbers and the people behind these numbers lose their individuality.’ (participant 17) |
| 5. Personal values and priorities | 3 | ‘One’s own contentment and being more humble before life’ (participant 7) ‘Life altogether is considered more critically by the bereaved. What is really important? Do I really need all these things? What is really meaningful? Who are the important people in my life? Who or what can I rely on?’ (participant 29) |
| 6. Impact on bereavement support / health care | 5 | ‘Cancellation of a rehabilitative treatment (hospital does not admit new patients)’ (participant 13) ‘Lack of contact persons, extreme need to talk’ (participant 3) |