Grief, in many ways, is a universal experience. In the United States alone, millions of people experience grief and bereavement each year for a variety of reasons, including losing loved ones or experiencing a traumatic event, illness, disaster, or violence. The number of people reporting bereavement and bereavement has increased in recent years, especially considering the COVID-19 pandemic, the overdose epidemic, and increased suicide rates. Bereavement is also a complex and deeply personal experience that can affect both mental and physical health – and no one processes it the same way.
This week is National Grief Awareness Week (December 2-8, 2024) – and SAMHSA wants to highlight this globally important issue of national importance. National Grief Awareness Week is a time to recognize everyone who has experienced loss and help raise awareness of bereavement nationwide. In honor of this national holiday, SAMHSA is unveiling several bereavement and grief activities and new resources, including a new bereavement and grief website and a social media toolkit. In addition, SAMHSA will host two informative webinars this week. The first will focus on the universality of grief and sociocultural differences, while the second will examine the experience, impact and supports available for different types of grief.
Understanding Grief and Grief
There are various definitions of mourning and bereavement, but they are generally understood as the period of time following a loss and the subsequent response. A bereaved person experiences a period of mourning characterized by a range of emotional, mental and physical reactions such as sadness, anger, confusion and stress.
For most, grief lessens over time. For others, however, grief can be a profoundly consuming experience that completely changes their ability to carry on with life as it was before. Grief is not a linear experience, but rather a response that varies in intensity and form based on many factors.
Strengthening federal efforts around grief
In 2023, Congress provided funding to the federal government to expand its knowledge of the bereavement field. They directed the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to perform a systematic review and convene a group of technical experts to understand what constitutes high-quality bereavement care and assess the feasibility of developing standards for that care.
SAMHSA participated in the systematic review process, and in June 2024, SAMHSA hosted this expert panel in collaboration with AHRQ. The event brought together grief professionals from across the country, including experts in psychology, euthanasia (the study of grief and loss), social work, theology, politics and more. The panel created an outlet for open discussion and initiated inter-agency work to create broad, supportive care for people experiencing loss. On the second day of this event, experts broke into small groups to brainstorm opportunities to strengthen the bereavement care sector. An overarching theme was the benefit of shifting the culture around bereavement from one of taboo to one of wider awareness and acceptance. SAMHSA’s inaugural observance of National Grief Awareness Week this December is a direct response to this passionate debate.
In the same Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) that mandated AHRQ’s work, Congress also directed the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) to conduct a landscape scan of bereavement and bereavement supports. SAMHSA also supported ASPE in this project, and the Recently Released Report (PDF | 760 KB).
SAMHSA’s commitment to bereavement
For anyone grieving or supporting someone through grief, SAMHSA offers an initial set of resources and activities to help provide essential information and guidance during these difficult times.
Some people may have beliefs around grieving that can lead to expectations of what the process is supposed to look like. This can include how long one should grieve, what grief should look like, and who is “allowed” to grieve. It is important to remember that no two experiences are the same. People deal with loss in a wide variety of ways and at different times, and SAMHSA’s new website aims to provide support to any person at any stage of their grief.
Although many people process grief with trusted friends and family, others may benefit from additional support. These individuals may experience very strong and long-lasting forms of grief that can make everyday life more difficult. The website will include information and resources for anyone experiencing this type of grief. To help people better understand what different responses and reactions to grief mean, and describe what it can look like when grief is no longer healthy, SAMHSA will host two webinars this week: “Grief: A Simultaneously Unique, but Universal Experience’ and ‘What to do with the wounds that time does not heal’. Information about these webinars is available on the website and recordings will be posted later.
Additionally, one of the most important forms of support during loss is your community. SAMHSA’s new grief website will share resources for people who are helping, either personally or professionally, providing guidance on the best ways to provide support. Anyone who wants to can help make a difference to someone’s grieving experience.
Overall, the main goal of this website is to remind people that grief is a normal process, but they don’t have to go through it alone. There are many different types of support systems and specific resources available to guide anyone through this experience. The site will continue to improve with additional grief-related resources over time.
Find ways to express grief
National Grief Awareness Week is a time to recognize grief and the impact that grief can have on all of our lives. Grief can come from the loss of a person or a dream, career, health, home or something else. During this time, you are encouraged to honor and acknowledge anyone or anything you have lost and possibly express your grief and loss. This can be accomplished either privately or publicly, whichever will best help you navigate this process. Consider these methods:
- Start a diary as a way to express and understand the grief you feel while keeping it private.
- Write a letter to the person, or thing, you’ve lost to help you honor and express anything you never had the chance to say or do.
- Try using art to express your sadness. Dancing, painting, and playing music are all methods you can use without expressing your grief and loss in words.
- Reconnect with an experience or place or focusing on a memory that reminds you of that person or thing, as a way of acknowledging and processing the loss.
- Ask for help. Don’t be ashamed to reach out and express the need for help when dealing with grief.
No one should grieve alone
There are many other things you can do to observe National Grief Awareness Week now (and the rest of the year), including sharing our resources, showing compassion to anyone who has experienced loss, helping to raise awareness about bereavement and sadness and share your feelings with those around you. Together, we can develop support systems and ensure that no one grieves alone.
For more tips on improving mental health, visit SAMHSA’s website. To learn how to get support for mental health conditions, visit FindSupport.gov. If you are looking for treatment services in your community, visit FindTreatment.gov. If you or someone you know needs additional support or is in crisis, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for help 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
