Research Project Summary
This project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of GriefShare in improving mental health outcomes among grieving church members in Camden, New Jersey.
Research Project Goals
Through this pilot study, we will provide some of the first empirical data on the impact of this faith-based grief support model. We seek to determine whether participation in GriefShare enhances grief coping and reduces grief impairment and depressive symptoms compared to members on a structured waitlist who receive usual church-based support.
Research Project Objectives
Assess changes in grief impairment, coping, and depression using validated quantitative measures (Grief Impairment Scale, PHQ-9, Brief COPE, and Brief RCOPE) collected before and after the intervention. Identify personal, cultural, and systemic factors that shape grief experiences, help-seeking behaviors, and perceptions of faith-based mental health support through semi-structured focus group interviews. Explore the roles of hope and spiritual well-being as potential mediators of improved mental health outcomes to understand how faith contexts foster recovery and resilience among church members. Generate foundational data to inform the design of sustainable, scalable, and evidence-based grief interventions that can be expanded to diverse denominations and communities, ultimately improving population mental health and advancing health equity in South Jersey.