Grief Stakeholder Advisory Group
The project
The death of a close family member or friend is one of the most stressful events in life. For young adults (18-25 years old) in the developmental phase of emerging adulthood, bereavement can have a significant influence on development with an increased likelihood of mental health issues, developmental difficulties, and social and economic adversities. Unfortunately, young adults’ experiences of grief and grief-related support needs are poorly understood and there is a lack of accessible evidence-based supports and interventions. Online delivery formats may improve accessibility and scalability of grief interventions, however, there are currently none that meet the unique support needs of young adults. This project aims to contribute to filling this gap with a series of four studies which will co-design with young adults an internet grief intervention that is responsive to their support needs, priorities, and preferences.
This project will be conducted in collaboration with a group of Stakeholder Advisory Representatives. Researchers at Curtin University plan to:
- Understand the experiences of grief and grief-related support needs of young adults using interviews and creative activity methods
- Conduct a scoping review of published scientific literature as to what will be effective in supporting bereaved young adults
- Co-design an evidence-based psychological intervention for bereaved young adults in workshops
- Test whether young adults find this intervention feasible, acceptable, and appropriate in a small pilot study
The involvement opportunity
Researchers are looking for 5-6 people to form a group of Stakeholder Advisory Representatives (STARS) for the duration (or part thereof) of the project. The STARS (made up of bereaved young adults [BYA], family/ friends of BYA, and grief professionals who work with BYA) will work with the PhD researcher to develop and refine the online intervention and research materials. There will be opportunities to co-facilitate workshops, co-analyse data, and co-author papers as well as be involved in creating videos, infographics, and presentations associated with the project.
Skills and experience
To be a member of the group, you will need to be willing to work with other stakeholders in the group as meetings will involve all stakeholder groups (bereaved young adults, family/ friends of BYA, and grief professionals who work with BYA).
You will either be:
- a young adult (aged 18-25 years with lived experience of bereavement of a close friend or family member since approximately 16 years of age)
- a family member or close friend (aged 18+) of a young adult who is currently grieving
You will also need:
- to live in Australia
- to have access to Microsoft Teams for online meetings
- to be able to commit to attending project meetings every few months for approx. 1.5 hours and provide feedback on project plans, materials and findings
Other information
The project is a PhD project and therefore will go for 2-3 years, however you can withdraw from the group if no longer able to attend meetings. You are encouraged to apply even if you can only participate for a shorter time. Meetings will be held at different times across the project depending on project stages but are planned for every 3-4 months with additional feedback or activities outside of the meetings as required. Meetings will be up to 90 minutes long.
Meetings will be held online. Some opportunities for in person involvement may arise for those that can attend the Curtin Bentley campus in person (e.g. workshop co-facilitation in person).
An honorarium of $37.50 per hour is offered for meetings and other activities. Training and support is provided by the Curtin Involve Team and the research team
Applications close Friday 18th October 2024