Chao Fang

University of Liverpool | UoL · Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology

Purpose: This article develops immediate understandings of loss and grief at both an individual and collective level following the first-wave of COVID-19 in the UK. This allows for insights into the likely challenges and support for loss and grief in facing unprecedented disruption and uncertainty. Ultimately, it explores avenues for the priorities...

This article reports on a qualitative study to investigate what bereavement means to older people. Drawing upon 80 in-depth interviews collected from eight British and Australian retirement communities, our study revealed that facing bereavement while ageing includes experiences of losing both others and the wholeness of the self. Core themes ident...

Background Increasing evidence has suggested that a person-centred approach (PCA) is beneficial not only for improving care outcomes but also for mitigating the pressure on public health systems. However, policy implementation gaps have prevented the translation of this complex framework into useful practical, ethical and moral stances for end-of-l...

Background Growing older is often associated with resilience, contentedness and inner growth. Older people however are also at risk of confronting unique emotional challenges as a result of varied ageing-related experiences. By employing a biographical lens, we aim to introduce storytelling as a methodological tool to more holistically explore olde...

Identity loss and (re)construction forms a central debate in sociology of chronic illness. Living with chronic/persistent health conditions may raise questions about how disruptions can touch upon and further threaten the very roots of existence, by which people reflexively perceive a coherent and stable sense of 'being-in-the-world'. Whilst medica...

This report provides a timely summary about fast-evolving qualitative inquiries into Long COVID (LC) in the UK. Based on a survey conducted within a national qualitative LC (QLC) research network comprising 14 teams from across the UK, we aim to explore how the novel public health challenge of LC is being examined and supported across various care...

Background In October 2022, it was estimated 2.3 million people in the United Kingdom have self-reported Long Covid (LC). Many people have reported not receiving adequate healthcare support. There is a lack of research which provides an in-depth exploration of the barriers faced by people with LC in accessing healthcare support. It is important to...

Background: Older people are at risk of confronting emotional challenges, including loneliness, depression, anxiety and low-levels of wellbeing, as a result of varied ageing-related changes. These emotional challenges may further give rise to socio-health issues and even increased mortality, presenting a pressing public health issue in the context...

Background: In July 2022 it was estimated 2 million people in the UK have self-reported Long Covid (LC).1 Many people have reported not receiving adequate healthcare support. There is a lack of research which provides an in-depth exploration of the barriers faced by people with LC in accessing healthcare support. It is important to understand these...

Shidu is a Chinese word, referring to a group of bereaved parents who were subject to the One-Child Policy and whose only child has died. Living in a society where care for older people largely relies on adult children, Shidu parents can be highly vulnerable due to losing an only child who may be their primary resource for old age security. Despite...

Long-Covid (LC), as a patient-defined illness, has rapidly emerged as both a medical and social issue since 2020, drawing headlines in the public and global domain. In the UK, people experiencing ongoing symptoms of Covid after the initial infection came together online to try to make sense and gain recognition of their condition. Academic research...

Long-Covid (LC), as a patient-defined illness, has rapidly emerged as both a medical and social issue since 2020, drawing headlines in the public and global domain. In the UK, people experiencing ongoing symptoms of Covid after the initial infection came together online to try to make sense and gain recognition of their condition. Academic research...

Background: Increasing evidence has suggested that a person-centred approach is beneficial not only for improving care outcomes but also for mitigating the pressure on public health systems. However, policy implementation gaps have prevented the translation of this complex framework into useful practical, ethical and moral stances for end-of-life c...

Background and Objectives This study sought to qualitatively explore the lived experiences of 80 older people living in retirement villages across the UK and Australia. We focused on residents’ narratives around the themes of independence/dependence. Research Design and Methods Qualitative semi-structured interviews permitted in-depth exploration...

This study sought to explore qualitatively experiences of existential loneliness (EL) in 80 older people living in retirement communities across the United Kingdom and Australia. Qualitative semi-structured interviews permitted in-depth exploration of issues such as biographical narrative, close relationships, loss, feelings of loneliness and retir...

This article presents a preliminary inquiry into the impacts of COVID-19 on death, dying and bereavement. Adopting a sociological lens, this inquiry explores how social norms and values have shaped and been shaped by experiences of loss and grief amid COVID-19 outbreak. By examining relevant media and academic discourses, the author critically anal...

This study sought to qualitatively explore experiences of existential loneliness (EL) in 80 older people living in retirement communities across the UK and Australia. Qualitative semi-structured interviews permitted in-depth exploration of issues such as biographical narrative, close relationships, loss, feelings of loneliness, and retirement livin...

The context of mainland China remains under-researched in the bereavement literature. This article reports on a qualitative study on bereaved people’s experience in mainland China in light of their relational beings, uncovering varied applications of cultural emphases on harmony in their ongoing lives. By collecting and analysing qualitative data f...

p> This article develops preliminary understandings of loss and grief at both an individual and collective level following the COVID-19 outbreak. By examining relevant media and academic discourses, the authors analyse and envisage challenges and support for those experiencing loss during COVID-19. The discussion revisits and further relocates the...

p> This article develops preliminary understandings of loss and grief at both an individual and collective level following the COVID-19 outbreak. By examining relevant media and academic discourses, the authors analyse and envisage challenges and support for those experiencing loss during COVID-19. The discussion revisits and further relocates the...

England and Japan are confronted with unprecedented challenges and opportunities in the face of population ageing and changing expectations about death and dying, which place heavy demands on health and social care systems. An in-depth analysis has been undertaken to compare a set of key policy documents and legislation implemented and enacted in b...

England and Japan are confronted with unprecedented challenges and opportunities in the face of population ageing and changing expectations about death and dying, which place heavy demands on health and social care systems. An in-depth analysis has been undertaken to compare a set of key policy documents and legislation implemented and enacted in b...

Bereavement is a common human experience across cultures; however, how people face and deal with their loss is also shaped by the socio-cultural background. Furthermore, bereaved people are often involved with various thoughts and actions in order to recover their ongoing lives as orderly and meaningful from loss of a loved one. Therefore, this the...

Bereavement is a common human experience across cultures; however, how people face and deal with their loss is also shaped by the socio-cultural background. Furthermore, bereaved people are often involved with various thoughts and actions in order to recover their ongoing lives as orderly and meaningful from loss of a loved one. Therefore, this the...