Unexplored Costs of Bereavement Grief in Japan: Patterns of Increased Use of Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Financial Services

Abstract

Our Japan-wide survey (n=1, 078) revealed that bereaved who showed increased reliance on medical, pharmaceutical, and financial/legal services was in the ‘50’s age bracket, and for unemployed widows; it corresponded less with low annual income than with high income. Increased users reported their decline in physical health seriously influencing their work and lives, suggesting “presenteeism”. Moreover, they spent 2.7 times more for medical and pharmaceutical services than those reporting continual use, portending 4 to 10 times more Japanese government expense for this group, half of whom considered their own out-of-pocket expenses a financial burden.