Together, alone: Personal experiences of virtual funeral attendance during the COVID-19 global pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused profound distortions in how deaths were marked by those left to mourn their passing. Public health restrictions prohibited gatherings of friends and families for traditional funerals, causing an upsurge in reliance on virtual alternatives. The aim of this study was to ex...

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Publicado en:Death Studies Vol. 49; no. 10; pp. 1376 - 1389
Autores principales: Wilson, Lochlan, Gill, Gagan, Pirzada, Salina, Papineau, Kelsey, Lily, Pankratz, Reynolds, Kristin, Kredentser, Maia S., El-Gabalawy, Renée, Hiebert, Tim, Olafson, Kendiss, La Rivière, Christian, Bolton, James M., Hensel, Jennifer, Chochinov, Harvey Max
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Taylor & Francis Ltd 2025
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: 2025
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      pub: Taylor & Francis Ltd
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        10.1080/07481187.2024.2400368
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        atl: Together, alone: Personal experiences of virtual funeral attendance during the COVID-19 global pandemic.
      aug:
        au:
          Wilson, Lochlan
          Gill, Gagan
          Pirzada, Salina
          Papineau, Kelsey
          Lily, Pankratz
          Reynolds, Kristin
          Kredentser, Maia S.
          El-Gabalawy, Renée
          Hiebert, Tim
          Olafson, Kendiss
          La Rivière, Christian
          Bolton, James M.
          Hensel, Jennifer
          Chochinov, Harvey Max
        affil:
          Department of Psychiatry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
          Department of Public Policy, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
          Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
          Department of Clinical Health Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
          CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute, CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
          Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
          Department of Internal Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
      su:
        Canada
        Attitudes toward death
        Community health services
        Qualitative research
        Privacy
        Food security
        Content analysis
        Internet
        Psychological adaptation
        Information services
        Memory
        Interment
        Grief
        Social support
        COVID-19 pandemic
        Social isolation
        Medical ethics
        Social participation
        Statistical significance
        Research funding
        Descriptive statistics
        Surveys
        Data analysis software
      sug:
        subj:
          Attitudes toward death
          Community health services
          Qualitative research
          Privacy
          Food security
          Content analysis
          Internet
          Psychological adaptation
          Information services
          Memory
          Interment
          Grief
          Social support
          COVID-19 pandemic
          Social isolation
          Medical ethics
          Social participation
          Canada
          Community health centres
          All Other Outpatient Care Centers
          Other local, municipal and regional public administration
          Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities
          Other Individual and Family Services
          All Other Information Services
          Internet Publishing and Broadcasting and Web Search Portals
          Wired Telecommunications Carriers
          Statistical significance
          Research funding
          Descriptive statistics
          Surveys
          Data analysis software
      ab: The COVID-19 pandemic caused profound distortions in how deaths were marked by those left to mourn their passing. Public health restrictions prohibited gatherings of friends and families for traditional funerals, causing an upsurge in reliance on virtual alternatives. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of individuals attending virtual funerals following a death of any cause, including reasons for choosing virtual attendance, perceived differences relative to in person attendance, and the extent to which mourning practices were accommodated. Between May 2021 and June 2022, we identified 57 participants with virtual funeral attendance experience. They identified many shortcomings of virtual funerals, captured under themes including, socialization, community support, sharing food, physical contact, consoling the bereaved, sharing memories, and connection. There were features of virtual funerals that participants appreciated, summarized by themes including, accessibility, taking part or marking the event, closure, technological advantages and privacy. Despite a sense that virtual funerals provided an opportunity to grieve "together, alone," most conceded it was better than not being able to take part at all. This study provides detailed information about participating in virtual funerals, identifying features of this experience that should be examined to determine how those may influence grieving processes and bereavement outcomes.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
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