Open AccessExploring the Use of Virtual Funerals during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review
Author(s) -
Andie MacNeil,
Blythe Findlay,
Rennie Bimman,
Taylor Hocking,
Tali Barclay,
Jocelyn Ho
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
omega
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.5
H-Index - 40
eISSN - 1541-3764
pISSN - 0030-2228
DOI - 10.1177/00302228211045288
Subject(s) - pandemic , social distance , covid-19 , coping (psychology) , grey literature , work (physics) , distancing , grief , resource (disambiguation) , inclusion (mineral) , psychology , sociology , public relations , medline , political science , medicine , social science , engineering , computer science , psychotherapist , disease , mechanical engineering , computer network , pathology , virology , outbreak , infectious disease (medical specialty) , law
The COVID-19 pandemic and physical distancing limitations have had a profound impact on funeral practices and associated grieving processes. The purpose of the present scoping review is to summarize the existing literature on the emerging use of virtual funerals. Five medical databases, five social science databases, and five grey literature databases were searched, identifying 1,351 titles and abstracts, of which 62 met inclusion criteria. Four themes, each with various subthemes emerged: (a) Impact of virtual funerals on coping with death; (b) Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the funeral industry; (c) Benefits and disadvantages of virtual funerals; and (d) Future implications for health and social work practitioners. Virtual funerals are an evolving resource for individuals, families, and communities to mourn in response to the interruptions to traditional grieving practices due to the COVID-19 pandemic.