Millions of people suffer from unexpected bereavement this year

The UK’s leading funeral provider Co-op Funeralcare and the bereavement support organisation the Good Grief Trust have joined forces for National Grief Awareness Week and are working together to highlight the importance of bereavement support which addresses all forms of grief.

New YouGov research commissioned by Co-op Funeralcare reveals that an estimated 8,816,221* bereaved UK adults have experienced the sudden death of a loved one over the past year. The research findings also highlight over a quarter (28%) of those who lost a loved one unexpectedly said the sudden nature of the loss had a negative impact on their mental health compared to just 16% of people who expected the death.

Sadly, almost two-fifths (37%) of those who lost a loved one unexpectedly said it made them think about all the things they wish they had said to them, and 17% said the sudden death affected their relationships with friends and family members. Given the unexpected nature of the pandemic, with 1 in 10 (10%) bereaved UK adults experiencing a bereavement due to COVID-19, the nation could be facing a second wave of grief.

Aston spoke to David Collingwood, director of funerals at Co-op Funeralcare to discuss the research and the impact this year of unexpected grief is
having on the nation.