Cultivating compassion in students for end-of-life rocesses: A mixed-methods participatory research protocol

Abstract

Aims: To analyse the impact of a participatory process of awareness and reflection on compassion, in the face of end-of-life processes, in students aged 12-23 years in six Spanish regions, and to understand how the participatory process can transform their compassion. Design: Mixed sequential transformative methodology with different phases. In the first phase, a prospective quasi-experimental design with evaluation pre-post in a single group will be adopted. The second phase is the intervention under study, which will consist of a Participatory Action Research with concurrent evaluations. Methods: In the quantitative phase, 1390 students aged 12-23 from a Public University and a Public Secondary Education Institute across six different Spanish regions will be included. A single questionnaire will be administered before and after the Participatory Action Research to contribute to the process evaluation, incorporating four scales (compassion for others' lives, Death Anxiety Scale, basic empathy modified for adolescents and self-compassion). Responses will be recorded in the Research Electronic Data Capture system. For data analysis, comparison groups, change evolution and associations between variables will be examined, along with multivariate logistic regression models. In the qualitative phase of participatory action research, a promoter group will be established in each university and secondary school in every region. Qualitative data will be analysed following the authenticity, transferability, auditability and neutrality criteria. Discourse analysis triangulation will be conducted to achieve data saturation. Conclusions: Implementing participative action research in the educational environment to improve students' compassion makes them capable of founding compassion communities to help those who have a terminal illness. Reporting method: This study will adhere to the relevant EQUATOR guidelines, such as the Good Reporting of a Mixed Methods Study guideline, to efficiently report its results through the different steps of this mixed-methods study. Patient or public contribution: Participatory action research is a method that enables participants to act as researchers of the phenomenon under study, facilitating the immediate application of results within the context. Although students did not participate in the writing of the proposal grant or the research design. Trial and registration: This study registered on Clinical Trials (NCT06310434), was initiated in January 2024, and it will continue up to December 2026. Nursing implications: This multicentre study will contribute to the nursing community with an overview of compassion for those at the end of their lives among young people and provide the knowledge needed to cultivate compassion at universities and schools. Impact: Implementing compassion programmes and death education in the educational environment will empower students to create a compassionate community. The double evaluation of the process will contribute to the qualitative databases.