Family narratives on grief and death from COVID-19 in Chile: A psychoanalytic study

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had serious consequences globally, with over 6.81 million deaths and 681 million infections. In Chile, the effects were also devastating, especially concerning loss and grief. Objective: To understand the narratives of relatives of COVID-19 victims in Chile and their grieving experiences through a psychoanalytic lens. Method: A qualitative methodology with a thematic narrative approach was employed, using in-depth interviews. A thematic narrative analysis was conducted using Atlas.ti, from coding to categorization. Results: Five thematic narrative categories were identified: Characteristics of death during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile; Pathways of grief (pathological grief, mourning, melancholia); Factors affecting death and grief in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic; The relationship between relatives and healthcare institutions; and Traumatic experiences and denial. Conclusions: The grief of relatives of COVID-19 victims becomes traumatized when contexts lack: timely information delivery, emotional support, direct and sensitive conversations about death, presence of physical spaces for care, and preparation of families at each step of the mortuary ritual.