Processo de luto durante a pandemia de COVID-19

: desenvolvimento e avaliação de uma intervenção grupal baseada na teoria cognitiva-narrativa

Abstract

In the most recent pandemic, the number of deaths was very high, putting many people intothe grieving process. Alongside the grieving process, individuals still faced constraints associated with the pandemic of COVID-19, which at an early stage included social withdrawal, enforced isolation within the home, lack of opportunity to say goodbye to hospitalized loved ones, among others. Investing in bereavement interventions that can mitigate the effects associated with bereavement, but also that can function as tools to overcome other difficulties to come, is crucial. The present mixed-design, predominantly qualitative study, aims to develop and evaluate a group intervention based on cognitive narrative theory in a context of the bereavement process during the COVID-19 pandemic. Four patients aged between 18 and 65 years (M= 49.25; DP= 21.24) participated in the intervention and study. For quantitative data collection (comparing results at pre- and posttest) participants answered a general and sociodemographic questionnaire, The Grief and Meaning Reconstruction Inventory, the Prolonged Grief Disorder, and the Hospital Anxietyand Depression Scale. To evaluate the intervention process, an individual form and group interview were applied at the end of the intervention. The results indicated a significant reduction in the levels of anxiety and depression in one of the patients, a significant reduction in the feeling of emptiness and meaninglessness in most of the patients, indicating that three of the four patients were able to attribute meaning to the loss after the intervention, as well as a reduction in the symptomatology associated with prolonged mourning in one of the patients. The thematic analysis performed on the qualitative data highlighted two maincategories, the strengths of the intervention (e.g., adjustment to grief and sharing) and somepoints for improvement (e.g., more regular feedback and group composition). Despite the limitations (e.g., small sample size), the results point to a potential positive effect of this type of intervention.

Date of Award	14 Dec 2022
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Rita Francisco (Supervisor) & Cristina Isabel Albuquerque Godinho (Co-Supervisor)