Receiving a diagnosis from a doctor that explains your previously unexplainable symptoms can often bring about feelings of relief. But this year, the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, and its diagnosis has offered its targets no such comfort. Anxiety, sadness, and distress caused by the fear of a potential, impending loss of great significance is known as anticipatory grief.
In this post, Penn State Abington’s Abigail Akande discusses experiences with anticipatory grief, and explains how they can vary just as widely as the experiences with typical grief. They are influenced by extrinsic factors like cultural context (i.e. country of origin, family dynamics), socioeconomic status, or history; as well as intrinsic factors, such as personal belief systems, self-efficacy, age, or personality.
For more, visit the Insights from Experts website — a partnership of Penn State's Social Science Research Institute and the Center for Health Care and Policy Research.