Authors (including presenting author) :
CHAN NH (1), AU YEUNG TL (2), WONG YMP (2)
Affiliation :
(1) M&G, POH
(2) Patient Resources Centre, POH / TSWH
Introduction :
Under the COVID-19 pandemic, the society has experienced more uncommon and unexpected separations, both with the deceased and the alive owing to death and quarantine. Without proper psychological preparation, people who face unexpected separations may experience shock, guilt, trauma and longer time of adjustment. Studies found that unanticipated death of a love one was associated with a higher risk for the onset of multiple psychiatric disorders, such as major depressive episodes, panic disorder, etc.. Therefore, a medical social collaboration project was organised to better prepare target participants to face different kinds of separations.
Objectives :
The project targeted patients, caregivers, helping professionals and volunteers and the relevant participants who are interested in life and death education. It aimed to raise people’s consciousness of life and death education through:
a. providing training sessions to equip helping professionals and volunteers
b. organizing workshops to empower participants on facing different kinds of separation
c. organizing forum to facilitate the exchange of ideas through sharing by expertise from various sectors
Methodology :
1. Planning and Preparation Stage
a.Discussing with community partners to develop a theme on addressing service needs and gaps
b.Preparing the promotion and organization of training, public education workshops and forum
2. Implementation Stage
a. One training about narrative therapy in bereavement was held to equip helping professionals and volunteers
b.Twelve empowerment workshops were organized to facilitate participants to share their views on life and death via diverse media (e.g. board games, music, horticulture, etc.)
c.Two sessions of forum were organized to enhance the exchange of views on life and death from different religions and philosophical backgrounds.
3. Evaluation Stage
a. Collecting satisfaction survey from participants and feedback from community partners.
Result & Outcome :
The training, empowerment workshops and forum recorded over 750 attendances in total. In the satisfaction survey, participants shared that the meaningful and inspiring program content enriched their understanding about life and death education and encouraged them to better prepare for death. Some suggested that life and death education should be more widely. Meanwhile, community partners shared that the programs successfully broke the taboo on discussing death in the Chinese society and the observed participants actively interacted and openly discussed about death and separations.
