Grief and grief support needs in Canada: A mixed methods protocol

In their lifetime, every person will experience the loss of someone they care about. In Canada, the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing opioid crisis, and the discovery of unmarked graves at residential schools have brought this into particular focus. Research and theory in the area of grief have evolved over the years. Grief literacy challenges us to better understand and support grief in all aspects of our society. The Public Health Model of Bereavement Support was theorized and tested in Australia. The supports people seek are explored and the model identifies low, medium, and high categories of risk of prolonged grief disorder.

The purpose of this study is to advance public health understanding of grief and its support. The specific research objectives are to (1) test the Public Health Model of Bereavement Support in the Canadian context and (2) build a grounded theory of grief support.

This project uses a sequential mixed methods design.

A Canada-wide survey in English and French will produce data that will be used to empirically test the Public Health Model of Bereavement Support. In the second phase, the grounded theory of grief support centers on voices that have not been widely heard in grief research. The mixed methods then fully elucidate grief and grief support in Canada.

This is the first study internationally to test this model in a (post)pandemic context, in a jurisdiction that legally permits medical assistance in dying, and in a context with an opioid crisis.

The findings will allow us to better understand grief and the current realities of grieving, which has the potential to enhance the wellbeing of the millions of Canadians who are grieving.