Exploring the UK's social relationship with death during the COVID-19 pandemic

This research speaks directly to the theme of the Wellbeing, Health and
Communities Pathway. It aims for a comprehensive and in-depth
engagement with the challenges of living - and dying - in the pandemic. By
working with the grassroots movement COVID-19 Bereaved Families For
Justice, this research will explore both the experiences of those bereaved
by COVID-19 and, retrospectively and through family members' accounts,
the experiences of those who have died. Thus, by considering
bereavement and dying, this research will necessarily address the grand
challenges of the WHC Pathway, including health care, ageing, mental
health, and patient safety within the context of the pandemic.
For example, by exploring the experiences of the bereaved and,
retrospectively, the experiences of the dead, this research will address how
health care has handled the dying and grieving process and investigate
issues surrounding the impact of COVID-19 related death on mental
wellbeing. Furthermore, given the severe effects of the COVID-19 virus on
those with life-limiting health conditions and the elderly, this research will
inevitably explore the impact of the pandemic on those deemed already
vulnerable within society, addressing the important problem of inequalities
in health.