Family Bereavement Support Interventions in Specialist Adult Palliative Care: A Rapid Mixed-Methods Systematic Review.
Torsten Schwalbach, Marco Riguzzi, Myrta Kohler and 1 others
PMID 40913300WHAT IT FOUND
Palliative care bereavement support helped some families cope, but effects were inconsistent.
Pre-death needs assessments and clear communication, plus follow-up within six months, were valued. Evidence was mixed and not strong enough to prove which supports work best.
Key findings
01Structured family support before death showed mixed effects: a stepped-wedge trial reported reduced early grief and better physical and psychological health, while a pre-post study found no impact on grief or well-being.
02Families valued post-death follow-up, and lack of contact from the palliative team within six months was associated with symptoms indicative of prolonged grief and depression after three years.
03Post-death support effects varied by format: a telehealth grief group reported reduced grief and complicated grief, but a bereavement group study found no effect on grief, anxiety or depression.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This was a rapid review, so some screening and quality checks were not done by two researchers, which could introduce bias. The review included diverse interventions and outcome measures, so it cannot show which single bereavement support component helped families. Many studies were observational or had low to moderate quality, and several trials found no clear benefit. Most studies were from Western countries, so results may not transfer to other cultures or conditions. The review excluded grey literature and studies not in English, French or German, so relevant work may have been missed.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The work was funded by the Gloria Grathwohl Palliative Foundation.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that one bereavement support activity will improve a family's grief or mental health. Many studies combined several supports, several found no clear benefit, and the review included heterogeneous, mostly low to moderate quality studies, so it cannot separate which component helped.