I accompany COVID-19: a participatory action research project testing an innovative virtual support modality developed according to the model of compassionate communities in order to understand and prevent complicated bereavement in the context of a pandemic

Public health measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 have tragically disrupted the support of people at the end of their life as well as the process of mourning their loved ones. To date, the peculiarities of bereavement in the context of a pandemic have not been documented by any study. However, several writings allow us to conclude that this context involves many factors likely to generate an increase in complicated bereavement. At the same time, the confinement and physical distancing measures are disrupting the methods of psychological support intended for the bereaved. The main community organizations offering group support have had to suspend their activities. Professional individual psychotherapy services can be offered virtually, but pose a definite challenge in terms of accessibility and equity given the costs they generate for bereaved individuals whose job security is often affected. In April 2020, our team received a start-up grant to set up the "J'accompagne" project; a participatory action research project developed using the compassionate communities approach. These funds allowed us to collect empirical data through in-depth qualitative interviews with 13 participants bereaved by COVID-19 and thus better understand their support needs. In the context of this request, we wish to: continue and deepen our understanding of bereavement in the context of a pandemic by increasing the size of our sample, add a longitudinal component by documenting the evolution of the bereavement process of these participants in order to identify the factors likely to contribute to possible complications of bereavement and document the effectiveness of an alternative and accessible virtual support modality for bereaved in the context of the pandemic.Les mesures de sante publique afin d'enrayer la propagation de la COVID-19 ont bouleverse de maniere tragique l'accompagnement des personnes en fin de vie ainsi que le processus de deuil de leurs proches. A ce jour, les particularites du deuil en contexte de pandemie n'ont ete documentes par aucune etude. Toutefois, plusieurs ecrits permettent de conclure que ce contexte implique de nombreux facteurs susceptibles de generer une augmentation des deuils compliques. En parallele, les mesures de confinement et de distanciation physique bouleversent les modalites de soutien psychologique destinees aux endeuilles. Les principales organisations communautaires offrant du soutien de groupe ont du suspendre leurs activites. Les services professionnels de psychotherapie individuelle peuvent s'offrir de maniere virtuelle, mais posent un defi certain en termes d'accessibilite et d'equite compte tenu des couts qu'ils engendrent pour les individus endeuilles dont la securite d'emploi est souvent affectee. En avril 2020, notre equipe a beneficie d'une subvention de demarrage afin de mettre sur pied le projet << J'accompagne >>; un projet de recherche action participative developpe selon l'approche des communautes compatissantes. Ces fonds nous ont permis de recueillir des donnees empiriques par l'entremise d'entretiens qualitatifs en profondeur aupres de 13 participants endeuilles des suites de la COVID-19 et ainsi de mieux comprendre leurs besoins de soutien. Dans le cadre de la presente demande, nous souhaitons : poursuivre et approfondir notre comprehension du deuil en contexte de pandemie en augmentant la taille de notre echantillon, ajouter un volet longitudinal en documentant l'evolution du processus de deuil de ces participants afin de cerner les facteurs susceptibles de contribuer aux complications possibles du deuil et documenter l'efficacite d'une modalite de soutien virtuelle alternative et accessible destinees aux personnes endeuillees dans le contexte de la pandemie.