Almost a quarter of adults grieve alone, Metlife finds

Almost a quarter of adults grieve alone, while 23% of British people who have experienced a loss didn’t turn to anyone at all, according to a new survey by Metlife. 

As a result, one in four said that grief had affected their ability to make decisions, while one in three said that planning a funeral added a significant amount of stress to an already stressful time. 

The survey by the life insurance company also found that while more than a third of people have experienced a loss in the past two years, most will have turned to a friend or loved one for support.  

Metlife found that the most common person to turn to is a partner and spouse, with 39% of respondents reporting as such, while a further 27% talk to a friend and 17% to a parent. 

Only 5% of respondents reported confiding in a therapist or counsellor while grieving, while 4% said they confide in grandparents, colleagues, the NHS, aunts and uncles respectively. 

What’s more, 13% of people said that funeral planning after a death caused arguments in their family or friendship groups.

A spokesperson from Funeral Guide said: “Discussions about death before someone dies can help with this aspect. If your loved ones know your funeral wishes, or you have a funeral plan, then you can rest easy knowing that you may have helped your loved ones avoid some tricky discussions!”