Bereaveds' experiences with grief support groups

Grief support groups can provide essential help for bereaved in a difficult time of life. This article presents results (from quantitative data) in part two of our nationwide study on grief support groups in Norway, and shed a light on the participants' experiences. The sample consisted of 262 bereaved that had participated in various types of grief groups. One of the main findings was that although most were satisfied with the participation, as many as one third of the participants had expectations to the group that were not met. This had implications on both satisfaction, and probability of completing the participation. Group composition and leadership also affected the experiences. This implies that by communicating the group's objectives and content to the participants in advance, participants are better able to assess whether the group is suitable for them.