Effectiveness of a Cancer Bereavement Therapeutic Group

Abstract

This study examined the effectiveness of a novel cancer bereavement group. Twenty-seven participants attended a six-session cancer bereavement therapeutic group. Data were collected at baseline, intervention completion, and three-month follow-up. Grief intensity and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety were reduced postintervention, and self-compassion increased. At follow-up, improvement remained for grief, PTSD, and depression. A small quasi-experimental waiting-list comparison group showed no change on any measure between baseline and waiting-list end. This study provides preliminary evidence that a brief therapeutic group is an effective intervention for cancer bereavement.