Investing in bereavement care as a public health priority Editorial
| Authors: | Lichtenthal, W. G.; Roberts, K. E.; Donovan, L. A.; Breen, L. J.; Aoun, S. M.; Connor, S. R.; Rosa, W. E. |
| Title: | Investing in bereavement care as a public health priority |
| Abstract: | Morbidity and mortality associated with bereavement is an important public health issue, yet economic and resource investments to effectively implement and sustain integrated bereavement services are sorely lacking at national and global levels. Although bereavement support is a component of palliative care provision, continuity of care for bereaved individuals is often not standard practice in palliative and end-of-life contexts. In addition to potentially provoking feelings of abandonment, failure to extend family-centred care after a patient's death can leave bereaved families without access to crucial psychosocial support and at risk for illnesses that exacerbate the already substantial public health toll of interpersonal loss. The effect of inadequate bereavement care disproportionately disadvantages vulnerable groups, including those living in resource-constrained settings. We build on available evidence and previous recommendations to propose a model for transitional care, firmly establishing bereavement care services within health-care institutions, while respecting their finite resources and the need to ultimately transition grieving families to supports within their communities. Key to the transitional bereavement care model is the bolstering of community-based supports through development of compassionate communities and upskilling of professional services for those with more substantial bereavement support needs. To achieve this goal, interprofessional health workers, institutions, and systems must shift bereavement care from an afterthought to a public health priority. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license |
| Keywords: | mortality; review; quality of life; morbidity; palliative therapy; evidence based practice; health care cost; health service; patient care; social support; public health; bereavement; health care personnel; psychosocial care; terminal care; analgesia; health care planning; health priorities; grief; hospice care; mental health service; mindfulness; homicide; humans; human; psychiatrist; bereavement support; transitional care; open access publishing |
| Journal Title: | The Lancet Public Health |
| Volume: | 9 |
| Issue: | 4 |
| ISSN: | 2468-2667 |
| Publisher: | Elsevier Inc. |
| Date Published: | 2024-04-01 |
| Start Page: | e270 |
| End Page: | e274 |
| Language: | English |
| DOI: | 10.1016/s2468-2667(24)00030-6 |
| PUBMED: | 38492580 |
| PROVIDER: | scopus |
| DOI/URL: | |
| Notes: | Erratum issued, see DOI: 10.1016/S2468-2667(24)00077-X -- Source: Scopus |
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