Ann Aastha: A Novel AI-Driven Approach to Grief Adaptation for an Integrated Palliative and Bereavement Care Model

Ann Aastha is a first-of-its-kind digital bereavement care model for grief support and mental health wellness for rural communities where palliative and bereavement care is limited or not available. Digital bereavement care, such as Ann Aastha, is affordable, convenient, and accessible via their phone or any device. This approach addresses the current needs related to time constraints of palliative care providers, lack of knowledge of bereavement care, and absence of personalized quality care. Digital interventions have demonstrated a reduction in many psychological grief-related outcomes (i.e., complicated grief, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and sleep disorders). Ann Aastha promises to deliver a targeted therapy approach to individual bereavement experiences through the creation of unique grief personas that reflect the individual?s loss type, adaptive and learning style, spiritual needs, and memory of their loved ones. The funding will assist with content development for spousal/sibling/parental loss, support personnel, participant incentives, and dissemination-related travel for a small pilot test (N=20). The overall project?s goal is to test Ann Aastha?s content, accessibility, and delivery of the intervention as a self-management, health promotion, and disease-prevention bereavement-care model that can be potentially adopted nationwide.

VIVO