As we grow up we're taught that death is just a natural part of life. We are born, we live and then we die. However, even though it might be put up in such simple words, death is not easy to deal with and especially when a loved one passes away. Some people are able to find ways to cope with the loss, others can't move on so easily though. A study has furthered this by stating that when a close friend passes away, it can affect a person’s physical, psychological and social wellbeing for at least four years after the friend's death.
The study shows that unlike previous results, it was now found that the death of a close friend can endure four times longer. The researchers further added that since people were not aware of how long it actually took to mourn the death of a close friend, they were more prone to receiving inadequate support during the grieving process which only made things worse for them. For the research, around 26,515 participants were surveyed, out of which 9,586 had experienced the death of at least one close friend.
“The study found people grieving a close friend suffered a significant decline in physical health, mental health, emotional stability and social life,” said study lead author Wai-Man (Raymond) Liu, Associate Professor at Australian National University (ANU). “We found there are serious declines in the health and wellbeing of people who had experienced the death of a close friend any time in the last four years,” Liu added.
“We all know that when someone loses a partner, parent or child, that person is likely to suffer through a significant grieving period. Yet the death of a close friend, which most of us will experience, is not afforded the same level of seriousness by employers, doctors, and the community,” Liu added. This goes to prove that no matter the loss, one needs to take the right path towards mourning and should look for the right support during such times. Stay tuned for more updates.
