Hospice Bereavement Service Delivery to Family Members and Friends With Bereavement-Related Mental Health Symptoms.
Angela Ghesquiere, Ariunsanaa Bagaajav, Marguerite Metzendorf and 2 others
PMID 30428680WHAT IT FOUND
Bereaved family members with anxiety, depression, or complicated grief symptoms were more likely to be offered hospice services and to express interest, but only 7% wanted one-to-one counseling.
Key findings
01Among 3561 bereaved primary informal caregivers reviewed, 333 (9.4%) were flagged by counselors as having symptoms of anxiety, depression, or complicated grief.
02In the symptom-positive group, 60% were offered one-to-one counseling and 63% were offered telephone calls, but only 7% expressed interest in one-to-one counseling.
03Symptom-positive caregivers showed more interest than caregivers without symptoms, yet only 3% expressed interest in support groups and 7% in one-to-one counseling.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The findings come from one hospice in New York and may not apply to other hospices or regions. Mental health symptom status was based on counselor checklist impressions and risk ratings, not standardized depression, anxiety, or complicated grief measures. Chart data could not be matched with sociodemographic or satisfaction data, so differences by age, race, ethnicity, or relationship to the deceased could not be examined. Only the designated primary caregiver was analysed, although up to 6 family members or friends could receive assessment. The mailed survey had a 14% response rate, and respondents may have been higher functioning than nonrespondents. The study recorded services offered and interest, not whether services helped symptoms or outcomes. Bereavement support received outside the partner hospice was not captured.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that hospice bereavement services reduced anxiety, depression, or complicated grief. The study recorded services offered and caregiver interest, not outcomes after service use.