Lay summary
Assisted dying (AD) is resulting in new forms of grief. This research aims to co-develop, implement, and evaluate bereavement support groups for addressing the multifaceted grief experienced by families and health and social care professionals (HSPs) involved in AD. Two support group facilitation guides will be co-developed by stakeholders. Family support groups aim to provide a space to process the unique aspects of AD bereavement, express feelings, share experiences, and receive support in navigating the potential stigma. HSP support groups aim to help them cope with the emotional and ethical challenges of being involved with AD, coping strategies, self-care, and maintaining professional boundaries and resilience.
This initiative will be evaluated to create the evidence base for supporting those involved in AD and educating the professionals helping them. This project will lead to a health delivery grant application that provides safe, specialised, and effective AD bereavement support for families and HSPs.