Grief Treatment in Mental Health: A group experience

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Due to different social changes, Primary Health Care (PHC) and Mental Health (MH) services have became spaces in which the patient seeks the attention and the relief to the pain of mourning that cannot find in his familiar and social network. 
MATERIAL AND METHOD: It took place a support group of mourning carried out in 12 sessions and based on the Worden postulates (2010). The participants were 5 women referred from PHC and MH services that formed an heterogeneous group regarding the severity, the kind and the chronology of the loss.
The participants have been evaluated before and after treatment with the following psychometric scales: Diagnostic Interview of Complicated Grief by Prigerson and Jacobs (2001), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) by Zigmond and Snaith (1983), the Medical Outcomes Stydy (MOS) by Hays and Stewart (1996) and a satisfaction survey and evaluation of the results.
RESULTS: There were no significant results in the psychometric scales but high scores in satisfaction and evaluation of the therapy. It is concluded that the patients perceive a relief in their suffering that seems to be related to emotional relief rather than with a change to face the mourning. Patients and interventions carried out have been described, as well as limitations observed.