Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to many unexpected losses, impacting people's lives immensely. Youths were not immune to the disruptions of COVID-19, as evidenced by the loss of significant support structures such as caregivers, family members, and friends. An estimated 10.5 million youths worldwide lost a parent or caregiver to COVID-19. The pandemic has enforced hardships amongst youth by increasing existing socio-economic inequalities.
Purpose: The current study explored the experiences of black African youth in grief during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Method: A qualitative approach using a phenomenological research design was used. A sample of five focus groups and 9 participants was selected through purposive sampling. Data was collected using unstructured interviews for both focus groups and one-on-one interviews. A single question was posed to the participants: "What are your experiences in burying your loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic?'' The researchers used focus groups and individual interviews to gain a comprehensive understanding of the youths' loss of their loved ones and to increase the reliability of the findings. Data were analyzed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Ethical considerations and trustworthiness were maintained throughout the study.
Results: The results revealed that youths were restricted during COVID-19 from burying their loved ones and were subjected to unusual burial practices. A lack of social support due to COVID-19 restrictions when burying loved ones was revealed. Neimeyer's theory suggests that social networks are key to meaning-making during grief and provide emphasis for community support, as alluded to by current results.
Conclusions: The pandemic has affected many people's lives, especially youths who have lost their loved ones. The study recommends strategies to address the aftermath, such as seeking professional help, community support, and maintaining traditional practices to ease the burden of grief. Policymakers should consider burial customs when developing policies to address grief during the pandemic.