Drug and Alcohol Related Bereavement - Scoping Review
Submitted by vivienne evans
- 8 February 2017
Adfam and Cruse Bereavement Care carried out a four year drug and alcohol related bereavement project funded by the Big Lottery and running from 2010-14. The purpose of this review is to create a solid evidence-base from which the project can develop a useful and timely network of peer support and associated resources for people who are bereaved in this way. This review maps the context of this bereavement type through the available literature, reviewing findings and illustrating gaps in the research which have yet to be filled.
Headline findings included:
- There is a strong correlation between drug/alcohol mortality and social inequalities.
- Complicated grief means the bereavement and grieving process is delayed or protracted, placing a stress on the mental health and well-being of a bereaved person.
- Stigma is not only experienced by the user but also their family, and is a particular and prominent feature of drug and alcohol addiction.
- Due to experiences of stigma and shame as a result of society’s reactions, the grief of the families left behind may be disenfranchised.