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Researching Compassionate Communities From an Interdisciplinary Perspective: The Case of the Compassionate Communities Center of Expertise

2022; Oxford University Press; Volume: 62; Issue: 10 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1093/geront/gnac034

1758-5341

Steven Vanderstichelen, Sarah Dury, Sara De Gieter, Filip Van Droogenbroeck, Deborah De Moortel, Lisa Van Hove, Julie Rodeyns, Nele Aernouts, Hanne Bakelants, Joachim Cohen, Kenneth Chambaere, Bram Spruyt, Gabriel Zohar, Luc Deliëns, Liesbeth De Donder,

Mental Health Treatment and Access

Compassionate Communities are places and environments in which people, networks, and institutions actively work together and are empowered to improve the circumstances, health, and well-being of those facing serious illness, death, dying, and loss. The study of their development, implementation, and evaluation requires an interdisciplinary research approach that has hitherto been lacking. In 2020, 8 research groups from 4 faculties at Vrije Universiteit Brussel united in the interdisciplinary Compassionate Communities Center of Expertise (COCO) to investigate Compassionate Communities. This article describes the first results of COCO: (a) an interdisciplinary mode of collaboration, (b) a shared conceptual understanding and definition of Compassionate Communities, and (c) a shared research agenda on Compassionate Communities.