Grief experiences among LGBTQ+ populations: a scoping review

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Research
• Social Sciences
• Psychology

Background:

• LGBTQ+ individuals face unique grief challenges due to minority stress, discrimination, and heteronormative healthcare systems.
• Palliative care literature reveals inequities in access, lack of chosen family recognition, and insufficient LGBTQ+ cultural competence among professionals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review research from 2021-2026 on grief and bereavement in LGBTQ+ adults within healthcare and palliative care.
• Identify key topics and knowledge gaps for clinical practice improvement.

Main Methods:

• Scoping review following Arksey and O'Malley framework, with PRISMA-ScR reporting.
• Searched 6 databases for primary empirical studies on LGBTQ+ grief, bereavement, end-of-life communication, and disclosure in healthcare settings.
• Inductive thematic analysis of extracted data.

Main Results:

• Included 7 qualitative studies, primarily from English-speaking countries.
• Identified themes: minority stress, disclosure complexities, disenfranchised grief, and professional training gaps.
• Highlighted underrepresentation of transgender individuals, lack of quantitative data, and limited intersectional/non-Western perspectives.

Conclusions:

• Structural stigma, chosen family invisibility, and inadequate LGBTQ+ training significantly impact LGBTQ+ grief in healthcare.
• Recommendations include developing disclosure-sensitive protocols, recognizing chosen families, and implementing mandatory LGBTQ+ competency training.
• Future research should focus on longitudinal, interventionist, intersectional, and non-Western studies.