New York Life Foundation finds more Americans want open dialogue around grief

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--While most Americans understand the importance of talking about grief, people are growing tired of discussing death and loss, according to new research from the New York Life Foundation, released today. This year’s State of Grief Report found that 74 percent of respondents want to focus on lighter topics of conversation more than two years after the COVID-19 pandemic began. Despite this fatigue, 78 percent think more can be done to increase awareness of grief support services, and 68 percent would like a more open dialogue around grief in the U.S.

“The pandemic was an inflection point for the nation and a unique moment in time for us in the bereavement field to raise awareness about bereavement and grief and the resources available, while the world was paying attention,” says Heather Nesle, president of the New York Life Foundation, one of the largest corporate funders of support for childhood bereavement. “Our message is that we need to focus on resiliency, realize the power in creating a supportive community, and continue to encourage open conversations about grief in support of those who are suffering.”

Notably, the current study shows that individuals are growing more comfortable talking about death and loss with 68 percent of respondents agreeing they can discuss these topics. By comparison, only 55 percent of adults said they’re comfortable having conversations about personal finance matters, for instance.

Schools and after-school programs continue to be critical places of support

Schools continue to be centers of support for grieving children and can play an essential role in providing long-term resources for grieving students, especially realizing that an estimated 1 in 13 American children experience the death of a parent or sibling by age 18.

This year’s research revealed a growing focus on the opportunity for after-school programs to support grieving students and how their roles could become even more meaningful based on the demonstrated successful outcomes. In response, the New York Life Foundation is in the process of expanding its Grief-Sensitive Schools Initiative to the after-school space. The program will be piloted in 2023 before launching more broadly in 2024.

Schools and after-school programs are centers of support

• 92 percent of parents see positive outcomes from their child’s participation in after-school programs.
• 86 percent of parents say after-school programs should be notified if a child experiences a loss of someone close to them.
• 77 percent of parents think schools should provide long-term support to children whose primary caregiver has died.

Taking time for self-care at home

The new findings indicated that most parents sacrifice their own mental health and wellness to focus on the well-being of their children.

• 84 percent of parents feel more pressure to make sure their children are safe.
• 81 percent of parents have prioritized their children’s mental health over their own in the past two years.

According to the New York Life Foundation, neglecting their own needs, especially if adults are grieving themselves, can ultimately cause more harm to their children in the long term. If adults don’t take care of themselves, they can’t be effective parents, especially to grieving children.

Employers need to better help grieving workers and empower managers

Survey results show that few employers are doing enough to support their grieving workers and their managers and that communication about bereavement resources and training needs to be improved in the workplace.

Among full-time employees, 44 percent said they don’t think they would know if a colleague had someone close to them die. And, when questioned, just 28 percent of employed adults were familiar with their workplace bereavement policies with 30 percent of employed adults saying they don’t know if their workplace offers them.

In response to this gap in support for grieving workers and their managers, New York Life is bolstering the ways in which it supports employees who have suffered the loss of a loved one. In addition to a recently expanded bereavement leave policy, the Foundation is developing a workplace bereavement initiative that will provide ready resources and training to aid grieving employees and educate managers and colleagues on being grief-sensitive. The initiative will launch in the first half of 2023.

The 2022 State of Grief Report, which also features insights from the New York Life Foundation’s extensive network of bereavement experts, is available here.

Free bereavement resources from the New York Life Foundation can be found here.