Bereavement Support Groups: Timing of Participation and Reasons for Joining

Abstract

This exploratory study investigated the experiences of a small group of people who had participated in professionally led bereavement support groups, with particular emphasis on perceptions of the appropriate timing for initial involvement with a group and the reasons for joining. The results support the need for timely group-based bereavement support. The proposition that bereavement support in the early weeks of bereavement is too early was voiced by some participants but strongly negated by others who found early support of major value to their well-being. Taking account of the small sample size, qualitative data suggest that the reasons for joining are similar regardless of the length of time since the death, although there is evidence that the need for emotional support is felt most acutely by those without adequate family support and who join within the first three months after the death. Findings suggest that group interventions are helpful to target individual circumstances, needs, and reactions throughout the process of mourning and offer direction for future research.

Common Therapeutic Factors in Bereavement Groups

“…Picton, Cooper, Close, and Tobin (2001) found that the reasons bereavement group members gave for joining the group all involved sharing and support. These included the need for emotional support, sharing grief experiences with others who have gone through similar experiences, and a perceived absence of adequate family support.…”

“…Further, group cohesion is associated with lower dropout rates, increased hope for the future, and higher self-esteem among group members with CG (Marmarosh, Holtz, & Schottenbauer, 2005;. Further, universality (knowledge that others share similar thoughts, problems, feelings, or have coped with similar experiences) and altruism (opportunities to support each other with advice, or help with solving problems) are common processes in bereavement groups and can facilitate group engagement and improve treatment outcomes (Brown, Brown, House, & Smith, 2008;Picton et al, 2001;Umphrey & Cacciatore, 2011).…”

Supporting the Family After the Death of a Child

“…Self-help support groups, such as The Compassionate Friends and Bereaved Parents USA (see Resources section), are specifically designed for parents whose children have died and provide some of the best help for this prolonged grieving process. 7 These peer-led support groups provide an atmosphere in which it is possible to talk about the loss without the pressure to "get over it." Also, most parents are comforted by an environment in which others have been through a similar experience and in which they meet those who have survived this devastating loss.…”

Coping with the Ultimate Deprivation: Narrative Themes in a Parental Bereavement Support Group

“…Previous research on support group participation has examined predictors of participation in support groups (Levy & Derby, 1992;Picton, Cooper, Close, & Tobin, 2001). These predictors include perceived stigmatization of joining a bereavement support group (Bambauer & Prigerson, 2006;Levy & Derby, 1992) and perceived need for emotional and social support (Picton, Cooper, Close, & Tobin, 2001).…”

“…These predictors include perceived stigmatization of joining a bereavement support group (Bambauer & Prigerson, 2006;Levy & Derby, 1992) and perceived need for emotional and social support (Picton, Cooper, Close, & Tobin, 2001).…”