Exploring Bereavement and Public Health, Volume II: The Role of Informal and Professional Caregivers in Community Well-Being

Bereavement and grief exert significant, measurable effects on the health and well-being of individuals and society. The clinical community has formally recognized these effects through the introduction of a new diagnosis, Prolonged Grief Disorder. This recognition highlights the profound impact that grief can have on people's lives. Recent studies show that individuals experiencing bereavement are at higher risk for, and more likely to engage in, unhealthy behaviors such as alcohol abuse, smoking, and even suicide. These findings underscore the importance of addressing the health risks associated with grief and loss. Building on our first volume (“Exploring Bereavement and Public Health: The Role of Family and Friend Caregivers in Community Well-Being”), this Research Topic aims to deepen our understanding of bereavement and its individual and collective effects by encouraging interdisciplinary research that explores the unique needs of bereaved caregivers. There are an estimated 53 million family caregivers in the United States alone, and many more at the global scale. In addition to family caregivers, individuals employed in public safety, public health, and other professional fields are also exposed to high rates of loss, making them particularly vulnerable to the health risks associated with bereavement. To guide clinical care and policy measures, it is essential to expand research on the health risks that all types of caregivers face during periods of bereavement. We welcome submissions exploring (but not limited to) the following themes as they apply to the broader community of caregivers: 1. Contextual and geographic variation in bereavement and support systems 2. Psychological mechanisms, resilience, and interventions for bereaved caregivers 3. Substance use and addiction risk in the context of caregiver loss 4. Public health policy, advocacy, and the translation of evidence into supportive practice 5. Innovative health education and promotion programs to support bereaved caregivers 6. Social inequalities in bereavement experiences and access to care 7. Aging, older adult caregiving, and late-life bereavement impacts 8. Mental health, life-course, and longitudinal approaches to understanding caregiver loss 9. Technological and AI-driven solutions to identify, measure, and support bereaved caregivers We are especially interested in research that advances methodological innovation, highlights underrepresented populations, proposes scalable interventions, and leverages existing data sets for new analyses, insights, and applications. By exchanging knowledge across disciplines and cultures, we aim to foster stronger support networks and develop evidence-driven solutions to enhance caregiver well-being, furthering the conversation on this critical but often overlooked public health issue. This Research Topic invites submissions of all types and particularly welcomes Data Reports (including with high-quality AI-assisted datasets and analyses).Dr. Akshaya Bhagavathula is a IHME - GBD Lead Collaborator Topic editors: Toni P Miles, Akshaya S Bhagavathula Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79031/exploring-bereavement-and-public-health-volume-ii-the-role-of-informal-and-professional-caregivers-in-community-well-being