Bereaved significant others of patients at the end of live during the pandemic - experiences with care and of mental stress, and with consideration of migration background
Project leader: Dr. Christian Banse
Research field
- Health services research with regard to the long-term impacts of the pandemic
Who is involved?
- Dr. Christian Banse (Project leader, UMG)
- Dipl.-Psych. Maximiliane Jansky (UMG)
- Prof. Dr. Tim Mathes (UMG)
- Prof. Dr. Stephanie Stiel (MHH)
- PD Dr. Franziska Herbst (MHH)
What is the aim?
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic significantly affected the support and care of dying patients by their significant others (with or without family ties). Little research has been done on risk factors for longer-lasting negative consequences of the experience of loss under pandemic conditions on significant others, and on potential influence of this experience on anxiety, depression and complicated grief. Restrictions on care provision for the dying, funerals or private support may have aggravated the grieving process of significant others. Persons with migration background may have been particularly affected, and, as little is known about their experience with end-of-life care and grief during the pandemic, they will be addressed as a subgroup in this study. A network will established in order to facilitate recruitment and participation of experts. Using an exploratory qualitative approach, experiences with and restrictions on care in the last phase of life during the pandemic will be explored, comparing persons with and without migration background. 25-30 significant others will be interviewed in depth; the interviews will be analysed using content analysis. Both significant others with and without migration background will be included. The results of the study will be discussed in workshops within the network, consisting of caregivers, significant others and members of migrant communities and organisations to target a follow-up project grant application.