Universality of bereavement life review for spirituality and depression in bereaved families.

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of the Bereavement Life Review on depression and spiritual well-being of bereaved families in a setting that does not specialize in palliative care. The participants were 20 bereaved family members who underwent the Bereavement Life Review over 2 sessions in 2 weeks. Beck Depression Inventory Second Edition scores significantly decreased from 14.4 ± 9.2 to 11.6 ± 7.4 (t = 2.15, P = .045) and Functional Assessment Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual scores increased from 24.3 ± 10.1 to 25.9 ± 11 (t = -1.0, P = .341) from pre- to postintervention. These results show that the Bereavement Life Review can decrease depression and improve spiritual well-being of bereaved families after the death of a family member in a setting without specialized palliative care. The results also suggest the universality of this therapy.