Shining a Light on Bereavement and Grief: SAMHSA Recognizes National Grief Awareness Week

Grief, in many ways, is a universal experience. In the United States alone, millions of people experience grief and bereavement each year due to a variety of reasons, including the loss of loved ones or experiencing a traumatic event, illness, disaster, or violence. The number of individuals reporting grief and bereavement has increased in recent years, especially considering the COVID-19 pandemic, overdose epidemic, and elevated rates of suicide. Grief also is a complex and deeply personal experience that can impact both mental and physical health – and nobody processes it in the same way.

This week is National Grief Awareness Week (December 2-8, 2024) – and SAMHSA desires to elevate this universally important topic of national significance. National Grief Awareness Week is a time to acknowledge everyone who has experienced loss, and to help raise awareness about grief nationwide. In honor of this national observance, SAMHSA is unveiling several activities and new resources on bereavement and grief, including a new bereavement and grief webpage and a social media toolkit. In addition, SAMHSA will host two informational webinars this week; the first one will focus on the universality of grief and the sociocultural differences, while the second will examine the experience, impact and supports available for different types of grief.

Understanding Bereavement and Grief

There are several definitions of bereavement and grief, but they are generally understood as the period of time after a loss and the subsequent response. A person in bereavement faces a period of grieving 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 continue life as it was before. Grief is not a linear experience, but rather a response that alternates in intensity and form based on many factors.

Strengthening Federal Efforts Around Grief

In 2023, Congress provided funding for the federal government to expand its knowledge about the field of bereavement. They directed the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to perform a systematic review and convene a technical expert panel to understand what high-quality bereavement care consists of and assess the feasibility of developing standards for this 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 bereavement professionals from all over the country, including experts in the field of psychology, thanatology (study of grief and loss), social work, theology, policy, and more. The panel created an outlet for open discussion and initiated cross-agency work to create widespread, supportive care for individuals experiencing loss.

On the second day of this event, the experts were divided into small groups to generate ideas for opportunities to enhance the field of bereavement care. One overarching theme was the benefit of shifting the culture around bereavement from that of a taboo topic to one of broader awareness and acceptance. SAMHSA’s inaugural observance of National Grief Awareness Week this December is a direct response to this passionate discussion.

In the same Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) that commissioned the work by AHRQ, Congress also directed the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) to perform a landscape scan about grief and bereavement supports. SAMHSA also supported ASPE in this work, and the newly released report (PDF | 760 KB).

SAMHSA’s Commitment to Addressing Grief

For any person who is grieving or supporting someone through grief, SAMHSA is offering an initial suite of resources and activities to help provide essential information and guidance through these difficult times.

Some people may have beliefs around bereavement that can lead to expectations about what the process is supposed to look like. This might include how long someone 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 in various amounts of time, and SAMHSA’s new webpage aims to provide support for every person throughout any part of their grief.

Although many people process grief with trusted friends and family, others may benefit from extra support. These people may experience very strong and long-lasting forms of grief that can make daily life more difficult. Included on the webpage will be information and resources for anyone who is experiencing these types of grief. To help people better understand what is meant by the different responses and reactions to grief and describe what it can look like when grief is no longer healthy, SAMHSA will be hosting two webinars this week: “Grief: A Simultaneously Unique, yet Universal Experience” and “What to do with the Wounds that Time does not Heal.” Information about these webinars is available on the webpage and recordings will be posted later.

Additionally, one of the most impactful forms of support during loss is your community. SAMHSA’s new grief webpage will share resources for individuals that are helping, either personally or professionally, by providing guidance on the best ways to give support. Anyone willing can help be the difference in someone’s grief experience.

Overall, the main goal of this webpage is to remind individuals that grief is a normal process, but they do not have to endure it on their own. There are many different types of support systems and specific resources available to lead anyone through this experience. The website will continue to be enhanced 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 our lives. Grief can stem from the loss of a person, or of a dream, career, health, home or something else. During this time, we encourage you to honor and recognize anyone or anything you have lost and possibly express your grief and loss. This can be accomplished either privately or publicly, whichever will better help you navigate this process. Please consider these methods:

• Start a journal as a way to express and make sense of the grief you are feeling, while still keeping it private.
• Write a letter to the person, or about the thing, that you have lost to help you honor and express anything you never got the chance to say or do.
• Try using art to express your grief. Dancing, painting, and playing music are all methods that you can use without putting your grief and loss into words.
• Reconnect with an experience or place or focus on a memory that reminds you of this person or thing, as a way to recognize and process the loss.
• Ask for help. Don’t be ashamed to reach out and express the need for help when coping with grief.

No One Should Grieve Alone

There are several 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 raise awareness around bereavement and grief, and sharing your feelings with those around you. Together, we can grow support systems and assure that no one grieves alone.