Text Me About It: Receiving Grief Support Through Text Messaging (Conference Presentation)

Lunardini, M. & Levesque, D.

Highmark Caring Place
1 February 2023

"The text messages have been so helpful and always come at the perfect time. Feels good to be supported when losing my mom is still fresh on my mind but others have moved along. I'm grateful for the support, thank you!!" The use of digital tools and technology in the mental health space has increased, however little is known about the efficacy of these tools for bereavement care. Due to access barriers, researchers and bereavement professionals are seeking innovative low-cost, high-reach tech-based forms of support. But just how helpful are text messages and do grievers actually feel supported by texts? This workshop will explore grievers’ perceptions of the acceptability and helpfulness of text-based grief support based on survey data, inbound texts from users, and one-on-one interviews.