Recently, Gina Reyes, a senior undergraduate research assistant, gave an insightful presentation on her independent study titled “Grief Perceptions & Norms.” To begin, Gina described how societal beliefs and expectations about grief can shape what is considered a “normal” or “healthy” grieving process—often leading to disenfranchised grief, or grief that is not socially recognized or supported. She highlighted the role of stigma in these experiences, which inspired her overarching research question: Can brief educational and contact-based interventions reduce stigma and reshape beliefs surrounding disenfranchised grief?
With this in mind, Gina has developed her own intervention aimed at reducing grief stigma. She presented her planned procedure, which includes the use of vignettes, informational videos, and questionnaires to measure changes in stigma, beliefs, and understanding of grief.
We are looking forward to hearing more about Gina’s research as it progresses. She did a wonderful job presenting her current progress, and we’re excited to see where this important work leads!
FF-TIP LAB 