[Support intervention in grieving patients]

Principal: to describe the characteristics of grievers in an urban area. SECONDARY: To describe the risk factors for pathological grief, and the distribution of those cases of grief which are resolved and those tending to become chronic.

Descriptive study.

Txantrea Health Centre, Pamplona.

Consecutive sampling of all the family members of people who died between January and July 1999. In 4 basic care units, a grief-monitoring procedure was followed with 62 bereaved persons for 8 months. In the 8 other basic care units, the 21 bereaved people recruited formed a control group.

Initial interview with risk factors of pathological grief described in the PAPPS. Periodical consultations for help. Final interview with test from the Texas Revised Inventory of Grief Manual to determine the evolution of grief.

Over 90% had some risk factor. Considerable numbers were self-aware of difficulty in overcoming earlier grief. Over 50% did not attend even half their appointments, which was related to low income (p < 0.005) and background of depression (p < 0.04). Low income was related to worse evolution of grief (p < 0.01). There were high proportions of prolonged and delayed grief, without any differences found between the intervention and control groups.

There were large numbers of bereaved people with risk factors, frequent failure to adhere to the proposed programme, and a high number of cases of lengthy and delayed grief.