Protocol for a Scalable StoryListening Intervention for Grief-Related Loneliness During COVID-19

Francesca Lynn Arnoldy; Matilda Garrido; Ann Wong; Susanna Pratt; Tess Braddish; Greg Brown; Maija Reblin; Donna Rizzo; Robert Gramling

doi:10.1089/pmr.2023.0009

Protocol for a Scalable StoryListening Intervention for Grief-Related Loneliness During COVID-19

Palliat Med Rep. 2023 Aug 8;4(1):208-213. doi: 10.1089/pmr.2023.0009. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Francesca Lynn Arnoldy¹, Matilda Garrido², Ann Wong³, Susanna Pratt⁴, Tess Braddish¹, Greg Brown², Maija Reblin¹, Donna Rizzo⁵, Robert Gramling¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Family Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA.
² Professional and Clinical Education, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA.
³ University of Vermont Honor's College, Burlington, Vermont, USA.
⁴ Office of Clinical Trials, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA.
⁵ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA.

Abstract

Background: Social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic limited how family, friends, and clinicians physically interacted with people who were dying and decreased communal opportunities for processing grief. These barriers can cause or exacerbate suffering due to loneliness while grieving.

Purpose: In this article, we describe the protocol for a brief storytelling intervention designed to reduce loneliness among families, friends, and clinicians grieving the death of a person during the time of COVID-19.

Methods: We trained four StoryListening doulas (SLDs) to hold a welcoming space and listen to stories with curiosity and openness. The intervention included a video StoryListening session and two brief questionnaires, filled out before and two weeks after the encounter, assessing loneliness and quality of life. During sessions, SLDs invited participants to share their story of loss in their own words and in as much detail as preferred. When participants felt a sense of story completion, SLDs shared validating statements and expressed gratitude to the participant for sharing. The video and audio for each participant's StoryListening encounter were recorded and the participant was offered an audio copy of their session.

Keywords: doula; grief; listening; loneliness; storytelling.