Survey shows attitudes to talking about death
Survey shows attitudes to talking about death
A recent survey has helped to show Britons’ attitude to talkingabout and dealing with death and bereavement. See https://www.co-operative.coop/media/news-releases/silence-is-deadly-biggest-ever-survey-sees-30-000-brits-tackle-death-taboo
“Silence is deadly: Biggest ever survey sees 30,000 Brits tackle death taboo
“Findings of UK’s biggest ever survey into death and bereavement reveal:
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Almost 18 million people are uncomfortable talking about death
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4 million people have experienced financial hardship as a result of someone’s death
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The average Brit first suffers a bereavement of someone close to them aged 20
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Co-op supported by leading national charities is seeking to drive social change to tackle this last taboo
“Over 30,000 people have come a step closer to tackling the taboo of death, as Co-op reveals the findings of the UK’s biggest ever survey into death, dying and bereavement.
“The survey commissioned by Co-op, conducted by YouGov and supported by a coalition of national charities, was opened to the nation in May (2018). It is the first time national attitudes towards death have been looked at on such a scale.
“Today’s findings, released in a broader report “Making Peace With Death”, highlight that further action is needed to tackle the nation’s last taboo. The research uncovered attitudes towards mortality, bereavement and the way in which the nation plans ahead for death.
“Highlighting the extent of the last taboo, the report reveals that almost 18 million people are uncomfortable talking about death. Almost 5 million people say they are too uncomfortable to talk about their own death at all, with almost 13 million UK adults saying they are uncomfortable, but would be willing to talk.
“Whilst we aren’t at ease talking or opening up to others about death, according to the findings, as a nation, people do think about their own mortality:
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91% of Brits have thought about their own mortality, with women (93%) more likely to consider their own death than men (90%)
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26 is the average age people first think about their own mortality
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A third (35%) think about their own mortality once a week or more
“…Perhaps as a result of this, when it comes to experiencing a bereavement, the national taboo is having a detrimental impact. Findings reveal that:
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The average Brit first suffers a bereavement of someone close to them aged 20
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For half (47%), the death of a close relative or friend is their first recollection of death
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A seventh (14%) of those who have been recently bereaved (i.e. in the last 5 years) said that after the death, nobody knew what to say or do
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A sixth (16%) of those recently bereaved kept it to themselves, possibly to avoid having that “chat”
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A quarter (24%) kept as busy as possible, whilst 12% got back to work as soon as they could
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Whether the death was expected (50%) or sudden (39%) altered the way in which the bereaved were able to cope
“Further findings highlight that grief remains hard to deal with long after a death. For many of those who were recently bereaved, the period immediately after finding out about the death (52%) or during the funeral (46%) were amongst the most difficult. However birthdays (26%), the anniversary of their death (25%), Christmas or religious festivals (21%) and the return to work (12%) were also referenced as times when it was hard to deal with grief.
“…A further area uncovered through the research, is how the taboo is leading to a failure to plan ahead.
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Across the UK, 81% of people have not yet saved anything towards a funeral
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Nationally people have a good awareness of a what a funeral costs, with people thinking it is £3750 on average
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Over a quarter (27%) have written a will, just one in 20 (6%) have nominated a lasting power of attorney and only 5% have put a funeral plan in place
“Highlighting the impact of this, over 4 million UK adults may have experienced financial hardship as a result of someone’s death.
“Co-op is working with key national UK charities, including British Red Cross, Child Bereavement UK, Cruse Bereavement Care, Dying Matters, Remember a Charity and Sue Ryder to drive social change. This work will look at the following gaps identified by the research:
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A greater support network and guidance for employers to assist managers with supporting colleagues following a bereavement
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A shift in the national language used to talk about death moving to more direct conversations and a national campaign for a more open culture that breaks the taboo
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Opening up new networks for bereaved families and individuals ensuring there are more natural opportunities for them to seek support and contact with others following a death
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Greater focus on the interactions with death and mortality in the early stages of life to understand better the role of education in preparing us for one of lives hardest events…”