The AURORA project aimed to: 1. Enhance Professional Skills: Train 160 psychologists, 200 direct agents, and 200 indirect agents in Portugal, Spain, and Italy to provide effective grief interventions, particularly in response to challenges posed by COVID-19. 2. Develop Evidence-Based Resources: Create high-quality training manuals and a Good Practices Guidelines Manual to standardize bereavement care, adjusted to COVID-19 specific challenges and risk factors and ensure accessibility for diverse professional and informal support networks. 3. Promote Cultural Awareness and Education: Foster a healthier cultural approach to death and grieving by equipping communities with tools and knowledge to navigate bereavement. 4. Improve Community Support: Build the capacity of local networks, including informal support providers, to assist bereaved individuals and reduce the risk of complicated grief reactions. 5. Strengthen International Collaboration: Leverage cross-border partnerships to share expertise, establish sustainable practices, and address the needs of bereaved individuals in culturally sensitive ways. Ultimately, the project sought to create a long-lasting, systemic impact on bereavement care in Europe.
The AURORA project was initiated to address the critical need for improved grief and bereavement care in southern European countries, particularly following the devastating impact of COVID-19. Portugal, Spain, and Italy were among the most affected nations, facing high mortality rates and significant social and psychological consequences. Despite the urgent demand for specialized bereavement support, these countries lacked structured national strategies and sufficient resources to address the complex needs of grieving individuals. The project aimed to fill this gap by enhancing the skills of psychologists and professionals who interact with the bereaved, ensuring they could provide effective, culturally sensitive interventions. It also sought to build community capacity through the training of indirect agents and informal support networks, fostering a healthier cultural approach to death and grief and more compassionate societies. By developing evidence-based resources and training programs, the project tackled systemic challenges, created sustainable practices, and promoted sharing of knowledge and cross-border collaboration to improve bereavement care quality across Europe.