Date of Conferral

4-8-2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Mark Arcuri

Abstract

Mental health professionals working with Hispanic populations often face challenges in addressing grief, a culturally multifaceted experience influenced by traditions and familial and community practices. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine psychologists’ self-efficacy and preparedness in managing grief among Hispanic individuals who have been affected by COVID-19, address cultural factors in grief management, and identify demographic or professional factors that predict higher self-efficacy in working with Hispanic clients. Data were collected at a single point in time from eight psychologists who were actively working or had worked with Hispanic populations during COVID-19 to explore psychologists’ self-efficacy, preparedness, and cultural competence. The participants were recruited from private practices, clinics, and hospitals through convenience and snowball sampling. Data from a semi structured interview with each participant was interpreted using thematic analysis procedures to identify patterns and insights related to constructs of Bandura’s self-efficacy theory and the cultural context of grief care. The findings suggest that enhanced self-efficacy, preparedness, and cultural competence training can improve psychologists’ effectiveness in grief management, leading to improved mental health outcomes for Hispanic patients. The study’s implications for positive social change include furthering understanding of the relationship between clinicians’ self-efficacy and their ability to manage grief among Hispanic populations. Such knowledge could inform training programs or interventions to enhance self-efficacy among mental health professionals working with Hispanic populations and improve the provision of culturally sensitive grief care.

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