In most western societies, death has always been the church’s job. Nearly everyone wanted last rites, deathbed prayers and a faith leader at their bedside. But for a growing number of people, that template for dying is no longer the only option. The death doula, a different kind of caregiver, is increasingly entering the scene.

Some might have seen a death doula on the latest season of HBO’s medical drama The Pitt. Others may have recently heard Australian actress Nicole Kidman announce that she is training to become one.

So what exactly is a death doula (sometimes also called an end-of-life doula, soul midwife or compassionate companion)? Much like a birth doula — a trained, non-medical professional who provides support to a person during childbirth — they help guide a person through life’s final chapter.

As researchers in the sociology of religion, we study the changing landscape of death. With religious affiliation showing a sharp decline — in 1985, 90 per cent of Canadians identified as religious, while in 2019, this had fallen to 68 per cent — many people look to do death differently.

The work of a death doula

In our recent study, we interviewed more than 70 death doulas in seven countries to help us understand how outlooks on death are changing in a shifting religious landscape. As an international team, we spoke with doulas in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway, Brazil, Argentina and Australia.

Despite the geographic spread, in........

© The Conversation