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NCT Number: NCT07723170

Comparison of Social Media-Based and Online Training in Grief Counseling Education

This randomized trial aims to compare the effectiveness of two digital educational approaches for perinatal grief counseling training among midwives and nurses working in perinatal care settings in Türkiye: a social media-based education program delivered through Instagram and an online education program delivered through Zoom. Both groups will receive the same six-module perinatal grief counseling education content, but through different delivery methods.

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of the two study groups. Outcomes will be assessed before the intervention, immediately after completion of the 6-week training program, and 4 weeks after the intervention. The study will evaluate changes in participants' competency and confidence in providing perinatal grief care and compare the sustainability of learning outcomes between the two digital education models.

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Key information

Conditions

Perinatal Grief Bereavement Perinatal Loss

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Istinye University, Faculty of Health Sciences

Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location contact

Ayşe İrem Gökçek, Dr,PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

05356476880

About this study

Perinatal loss can have profound psychological effects on affected families. Midwives and nurses play an important role in providing emotional support and grief care following perinatal loss. However, healthcare professionals may have limited training and confidence in providing perinatal grief counseling. Structured education may improve their competency and confidence in delivering bereavement care.

This study will compare a competency-based perinatal grief counseling education program delivered through two digital models: social media-based learning using Instagram and synchronous online learning using Zoom. The educational content was developed from a previously validated competency framework established through a Delphi consensus study. Both groups will receive the same six-module educational content and learning objectives; only the mode of delivery will differ.

The study is designed as a two-arm randomized trial. Participants will complete assessments before the intervention, immediately after the training, and four weeks after completion of the intervention. The study will examine whether the digital delivery method affects competency and confidence in providing perinatal grief care and whether the learning outcomes are maintained over time.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Midwives or nurses currently working in perinatal care settings in Türkiye.
  • Aged 18 years or older.
  • Own a smartphone and have regular internet access.
  • Able to actively use Instagram and Zoom.
  • Provide informed consent to participate in the study.

Exclusion criteria

  • Previous training in perinatal grief counseling.
  • Failure to participate regularly in the educational intervention.
  • Failure to complete the study assessments.

Treatment and study plan

Social Media-Based Perinatal Grief Counseling Education

Behavioral

A six-week structured perinatal grief counseling education program delivered through Instagram using asynchronous posts, stories, reels, videos, quizzes, and interactive activities.

Online Perinatal Grief Counseling Education

Behavioral

A six-week structured perinatal grief counseling education program delivered through synchronous Zoom sessions, including presentations, case discussions, interactive activities, and role-play exercises.

Primary outcomes

  1. Perinatal Bereavement Care Competency

    Time frame: Baseline, immediately after completion of the 6-week intervention, and 4 weeks after the intervention.

    This scale was developed by Shen et al. in 2022 to measure the grief care competence of midwives providing care to women experiencing perinatal death. Gökçek and Keser Özcan established its Turkish validity and reliability. The scale consists of 23 items and has six sub-dimensions: Maintaining Faith, Knowing, Being Together, Maintaining Esteem, Empowerment, and Self-Regulation. Each item is answered using a five-point Likert scale (Strongly Disagree=1, Disagree=2, Undecided=3, Agree=4, Strongly Agree=5), resulting in a minimum score of 23 and a maximum score of 115. Higher scores indicate greater competence in perinatal grief counselling. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the scale ranged from 0.69 to 0.87 for the sub-dimensions and was 0.92 for the entire scale.

  2. Perinatal Bereavement Care Confidence

    Time frame: Baseline, immediately after completion of the 6-week intervention, and 4 weeks after the intervention.

    This scale, developed by Kalu et al. in 2019, measures midwives' and nurses' perceived competence in providing care to families experiencing perinatal loss. Dursun and Akkuş conducted the Turkish adaptation and reliability study of the scale. The scale consists of 35 items across four sub-dimensions: knowledge of grief support, grief support skills, self-awareness, and organizational support. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1=strongly disagree, 5=strongly agree). Some statements are reverse scored (e.g., items 7, 11, and 33). Each sub-dimension is evaluated independently, and the total score is not calculated. In the original scale development study, the Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the sub-dimensions ranged from 0.70 to 0.87.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Participant Evaluation of the Educational Program

    Time frame: Immediately after completion of the 6-week intervention.

    Participants' evaluation of the educational program using a researcher-developed Education Evaluation Form.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Ayşe İrem PhD Gökçek, Dr

CONTACT

[email protected]

05356476880

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Istinye University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Comparison of Social Media-Based and Online Training in Grief Counseling Education: A Randomized Controlled Head-to-Head Study

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Jul 23, 2026
Registry last updated
Jul 24, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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