Neighbours became such good friends, the grief was real

For some superfans, farewelling Neighbours involved blurring fiction and reality, an expert says. (Diego Fedele/AAP PHOTOS)

When long-running soap Neighbours came to an albeit short-lived conclusion in 2022, fans ran a full gamut of emotions - nostalgia at the end of an era, joy at the reappearance of old characters, gratitude for the show's 37 year-run.

But for some more heavily-invested devotees, the overwhelming feeling associated with farewelling the residents of Ramsay Street was a sadness akin to grief, a researcher from the Queensland's CQ University has found.