Grief and bereavement in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The death of a family member or friend is a significant stressor in an individual’s life and adverse bereavement can lead to mental and/or physical consequences. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated infection control regulations have been reported to disrupt people’s bereavement. However, the majority of the present literature has focused on Western contexts with no published studies on bereavement in Hong Kong. Given that grief and bereavement is a universal but culturally-specific experience, this article foregrounds the role of culture and ritual practices in Hong Kong Chinese’s bereavement. By focusing on the Chinese cultural identity, it highlights how their grieving process has been influenced by the pandemic and associated regulations. This article calls for more attention to this fundamental but under-investigated research area.