La Trobe University > Research > Public Health Palliative Care Unit > Research and Projects > Bereavement and memorialisation

Bereavement and memorialisation

Samar Aoun leads a team based at Curtin and La Trobe Universities that explores public health approaches to bereavement. A survey has been carried out to test a population health model and identify community resources used for support in the following states of Australia:

  • Western Australia
  • Victoria
  • New South Wales
  • Tasmania

The collaboration has resulted in a number of peer-reviewed articles to date. We plan to expand the study into Queensland later in the year.

Recent publications (2016-2018)

Breen, L. J., Aoun, S. M., Rumbold, B., McNamara, B., Howting, D., & Mancini, V.  (2017). Building community capacity in bereavement support: Lessons learnt from bereaved former caregivers. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 34, 275-281.

Aoun, S., Rumbold, B., Howting, D., Bolleter, A, Breen, L. (2017). Bereavement support for family caregivers: The gap between guidelines and practice in palliative care. PLoS ONE 12(10): e0184750.

Rumbold, B., Aoun, S. (2016). An assets-based approach to bereavement care. Bereavement Care doi: 10.1080/02682621.2015.1115185

Older publications (2015 and prior)

Aoun, S., Breen, L., Howting, D., Rumbold, B., McNamara, B., Hegney, D. (2015). Who needs bereavement support? A population based survey of bereavement risk and support need. PLOS One. Doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0121101.

Aoun, S., Breen, L., Rumbold, B., Howting, D. (2014). Reported experiences of bereavement support in Western Australia: a pilot study. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health. doi: 10.1111/1753-6405.12177

Rumbold, B., Aoun, S. (2014). Bereavement and palliative care: A public health perspective. Progress in Palliative Care 22(3), 131-135.

Breen, L., Aoun, S., O’Connor, M., Rumbold, B. (2014). Bridging the gaps in palliative care bereavement support: an international perspective. Death Studies. doi: 10.1080/07481187.2012.725451

Aoun, S., Breen, L., O’Connor, M, Rumbold, B. & Nordstrom, C. (2012). A public health approach to bereavement services in palliative care. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health 36(1), 14-16. DOI: 10.111/j.1753-6405.2012.00825.x

A Day of the Dead (DOTD) project

Led by Colleen Nordstrom, this project has been supported by the Building Healthy Communities RFA.  This resulted in installations at the Borchardt Library Bundoora and the Visual Arts Centre Bendigo and a full-day public seminar at the National Gallery of Victoria on November 2. Evaluation of these events will be used as a basis for planning further DOTD activities and research. The Australian Cemeteries and Crematoria Association has funded a project on memorialisation and bereavement that is due for completion mid-2018.