Bereavement in the context of homelessness: A rapid review

Abstract

It is common for the bereaved who are experiencing homelessness to be unrecognized grievers, who are then not adequately supported in their bereavement. This rapid review gathered published information from 17 references on how bereavement is experienced within the context of homelessness (from 509 references imported for screening). Four themes identified for understanding the bereavement experience were bereavement as a risk factor for homelessness, anticipatory grief, increased frequency of death, and ways of processing grief. Current practices used for support were themed into memorials, advocacy, and trauma-informed care. Themes for gaps and barriers to support were bereavement being systematically overlooked and environmental features present. The summary of findings is intended to help inform future research, policy, legislation, and cultural responses to grief and bereavement with the hope it may reduce people’s grief from being disenfranchized.

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge that the University of British Columbia is located on the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) First Nation, and the BC Centre for Palliative Care is located on the unceded shared traditional territories of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Funding by BC Centre for Palliative Care supported the work featured in this article.