87% of over 50s say they have experienced grief following the death of a loved one.
Research has revealed that 87% of over 50s have experienced grief following the death of a loved one. This is significantly higher amongst females, with grief impacting 93% of total female respondents and 79% of total male respondents.
The study, commissioned and conducted by pre-paid funeral plan provider Ecclesiastical Planning Services, polled 1,500 British adults, all aged 50 or over. The survey was conducted as part of their research into grief, death and funeral planning.
Initially, all participants were asked ‘Have you ever experienced grief following the death of a loved one?’ 87% had experienced grief, 11% answered no, and a few preferred not to say.
Participants were then asked how their grief/bereavement impacted them and made them feel (they were asked to select all the options that applied). Most (78%) said the bereavement they experienced made them feel upset, and over a third (37%) said it made them feel depressed. Of others that responded to this question, 30% felt anxious/overwhelmed, 27% felt withdrawn, 27% felt lonely, 25% felt shocked, 24% felt traumatised, 21% felt angry, 10% felt a sense of relief. 2% of respondents shared more detail about their feelings with one person commenting that they felt ‘totally swamped by devastating sadness’, which is a feeling they still live with 10 years after the death.
To break this down further, those aged 50 – 55 (46%) were more likely to say it made them feel depressed, compared to those over 75 (24%). Females were also significantly more likely to say it made them feel upset, shocked, anxious, traumatised and angry, compared to males.
To further understand the impact of grief, participants were then asked, ‘In time (a year or more after the initial grieving period), what unexpected emotions/outcomes, if any, did you experience?’ Just over a quarter (26%) who had experienced grief following the death of a loved one said it made them more resilient, 23% did not experience any unexpected emotions/outcomes, 22% were not sure, 18% said it made them more comfortable supporting others with grief, 16% needed more support than they had expected, 3% advised it hadn’t yet been a year since they lost a loved one and 3% preferred not to say. One person commented that they ‘still felt overwhelming grief’ many years later.
Emma Simpson, Marketing Manager at Ecclesiastical Planning Services, said, “Grief can impact people in many different ways and there is no time limit on how long it lasts. It is profoundly personal and often an overwhelming experience. It’s important that people don’t shy away from talking about grief to find the help and support they need.
Source: OnePoll research of 1,500 UK residents aged 50 and above, on behalf of Ecclesiastical Planning Services, November 2024.