Psychological Consequences of the Delay in the Silent Mentor Programme During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perspectives From Family Members of Silent Mentors.

The COVID-19 pandemic has put a hold on the Silent Mentor Programme (SMP); this pause has not only caused unprecedented challenges for the delivery of medical education but has forced changes in the programme ceremony sessions. We aimed to describe the psychological impact and experiences of family members of silent mentors during the COVID-19 pandemic using qualitative interviews. Many expressed feelings of remorse and unrest about the unprecedented delay of the SMP. The delay increased negative emotions particularly among some elderly family members; however, there was no prominent negative effect on their functional health and well-being. Several participants relayed the belief that the soul cannot rest until the body receives a proper burial while some worried about the deterioration of the physical condition of the mentors. In conclusion, findings provide insights into the importance of not overlooking the mental health implications of delaying the SMP in future outbreaks or crises.

Longitudinal Follow-Up of Death Anxiety and Psychophysical-Symptom Experience of Participants in the Silent Mentor Program.

This study assessed death anxiety (Death Anxiety Questionnaire, DAQ) and psychophysical- (psychological and physical) symptom experience following cadaveric dissection among the Silent Mentor Program (SMP) participants before thawing (T1), after the suturing, dressing and coffining session (T2), and one month post-program (T3). There was a significant decline in the total DAQ score comparing T1 and T2 (t = 7.69, p < 0.001) and T2 and T3 (t = 5.00, p < 0.001) and T1 and T3 (t = 10.80, p < 0.001). There was a significant reduction in total psychological-symptom score comparing T1 and T2 (t = 4.92, p < 0.001) and between T1 and T3 (t = 4.85, p < 0.001). However, for the physical-symptom experience, a significant increase in the physical-symptom score between T1 and T2 (t = -3.25, p = 0.001) was reported but the scores reduced significantly one month after the program (T2-T3; t = 4.12, p < 0.001). The mentoring concept of the SMP program has beneficial effects on improving attitude towards death and psychophysical-symptom experience associated with cadaver dissection.

An Exploration of Death Anxiety of Family Members of Silent Mentor Body Donation Program.

Background: This study assesses the level of death anxiety among the family members of the Silent Mentor Programme (SMP) and determines whether their participation in various ceremonies during the training session impacted their death anxiety. Methods: The revised Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale (CL-FODS) was administered to the study participants before the opening ceremony and after the sending-off ceremony of the programme. Results: All the four subscales that measure fear of one's own death, fear of the process of one's own dying, fear of the death of others and fear of the process of others dying in the CL-FODS showed significant reduction after the sending-off ceremony compared with before the opening ceremony. Younger family members reported significantly higher mean total death anxiety scores compared to the older members. Conclusion: The SMP not only nurtures doctors with humanity but also helps the family members to cope with grief and loss.