Reframing Bereavement as a Public Health Exposure: Field Notes From a Community-Based Mental Health Program in Postconflict Liberia.

Bereavement is often viewed as an individual life event; however, in postconflict Liberia, years of war and disease have transformed grief into a population-level exposure. Drawing on experience implementing group interpersonal therapy in Liberia, we describe how group-based, community-centered care facilitates recovery. Program outcomes from 2022 to 2025 demonstrate significant reductions in depression alongside improvements in social connection. These field notes underscore the need to address bereavement as a public health issue through community-based group interventions rather than localized, individual clinical care. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print October 8, 2026:e1-e5. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2026.308752).