Changes in perceived social support after group therapy for complicated grief

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychology
• Social Science

Background:

• Complicated grief reactions can negatively impact patients' social support systems.
• Group therapy is a common intervention for psychiatric outpatients experiencing grief.
• Understanding changes in social support is crucial for treatment efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate changes in perceived social support following group therapy in patients with complicated grief.
• To examine if social support changes during or after treatment.
• To explore the association between changes in social support and depressive symptomatology.

Main Methods:

• Sixty-one psychiatric outpatients with complicated grief participated.
• Patients received either interpretive or supportive group therapy.
• Social support was assessed from family, friends, and a special person at pre-therapy, post-therapy, and 6-month follow-up.

Main Results:

• Perceived social support from all sources significantly increased during the 6-month follow-up period, but not during the therapy period.
• Changes in depressive symptomatology were associated with changes in perceived social support over the follow-up period.
• Improvement in perceived social support was observed after treatment, not during.

Conclusions:

• Psychiatric treatment for complicated grief may lead to improved perceived social support post-treatment.
• The reduction in depression severity is linked to enhanced social support.
• Findings suggest focusing on post-treatment support for complicated grief patients.