SSR Seminar Series: Understanding the Influences of Good Death Concept on Bereavement Coping among Bereaved Family Caregivers in Singapore – Positive Meaning Reconstruction in the Dual Process Model
Video Recording
Using the interpretative phenomenological analysis approach, this retrospective qualitative study examined the attributes of a good death for terminally ill patients as perceived by their bereaved family caregivers and discovered the influences on caregivers’ caregiving experiences and subsequent bereavement coping. A purposive sample of 15 bereaved family caregivers, who had lived with and/or cared for their dying spouse or parent, were recruited from a local hospice. All one-to-one interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and entered into NVivo 12 Plus software for thematic analysis. Fourteen subthemes were identified and categorised into four major themes, namely, attributes of a perceived good death, positive caregiving experiences, negative caregiving experiences, and bereavement experiences and coping. Based on one’s good death concept, caregivers made meaning of their caregiving experiences in an iterative manner since the start of their caregiving journey and into bereavement. In turn, caregivers’ perception of a good death for the deceased and meaningful caregiving experiences for themselves led to better coping with bereavement. This study posited reconstruction of positive meaning as an adaptive outcome to successful oscillation between loss-oriented and restoration-oriented grieving processes. These findings suggest practice implications for the entire service continuum from palliative and end-of-life care to bereavement care and support.
Senior Medical Social Worker
Assisi Hospice, Singapore
Mei Qi is a Senior Medical Social Worker with Assisi Hospice. In her 10 years practicing as a social worker, she has taken on different areas of specialisation such as family violence work, trauma-focused therapies for young children and adolescents, and piloting community projects on Advance Care Planning and End-of-life (EOL) care. She has eventually returned to Assisi Hospice several years after her short stint as a student intern to deepen her learning in palliative and EOL care and continue her journey as a hospice social worker. Mei Qi has attained her Master of Social Sciences (Research by Social Work) with NUS. Through the years, her research interests remain in EOL care, palliative social work, and grief and bereavement. Both as a clinician and researcher, she believes in the power of being grounded in one’s practice and has embarked on a lifelong journey to discover knowledge through individuals’ life stories.
Principal Medical Social Worker
Tan Tock Seng Hospital, &
Management Committee Member
Centre for Allied Health &
Pharmacy Excellence
Dr Ivan M. H. Woo, PhD, is a Principal Medical Social Worker with Tan Tock Seng Hospital and Management Committee Member of Centre for Allied Health & Pharmacy Excellence. He is also Registered Social Worker with the Singapore Association of Social Workers.
Ivan has received awards in recognition of his contributions to research, clinical practice and education, including the highly competitive Li Ka Shing Prize, given annually for academic excellence to the best of the elite students at the University of Hong Kong, the Promising Social Worker Award, one of the highest accolades to be bestowed on a social worker in Singapore, and the National Healthcare Group (NHG) Education Leaders Award, the pinnacle award that recognises outstanding NHG clinicians for their significant contributions to health professions education.
Ivan brings with him experience as research principal investigator, research and innovation grant reviewer, and chair of advisory and conference scientific committees.
Executive Director
The Compassionate Network
Ms Chee is a veteran social work leader who has assumed practice and management roles, with health and social service agencies. In July 2023, Wai Yee co-founded The Compassionate Network, a new startup that supports family caregivers to fulfil their roles and achieve peace of mind, when their loved ones are nearing the end of life. She also teaches end-of-life care and grief counselling in the Master of Gerontology and Master of Counselling programs at the Singapore University of Social Sciences. She is a member of the NUHS Patient and Family Advocacy Council and is active as a Social Service Fellow with the National Council of Social Service. Beyond Singapore, Wai Yee teaches and supervises the China Psychosocial Program initiated by the Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network (APHN). For her contribution to the profession of social work, Wai Yee received the Outstanding Social Worker Award in 2016.
For enquiries, please contact Mr Tan Zhi Han.