[Grief for loss of a spouse: a study with discussion groups in primary care].

OBJECTIVE

To understand the grieving process after the loss of a spouse and to find the opinion of the person grieving about the best intervention under the circumstances.

DESIGN

Qualitative, with discussion groups.

SETTING

Primary care.

PATIENTS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS

Widowers/widows between 30 and 70, who suffered their loss between 3 months and 2 years before the study. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS. The data were obtained from recordings and transcriptions, and the main ideas analysed. Two groups were defined: 11 widows between 49 and 68 years old and 6 widowers between 36 and 70. The majority of deaths had followed a previous terminal illness. Four phases of grief were found: 1) anticipated grief, 2) early grief, 3) intermediate grief and 4) delayed grief. There were differences between widows and widowers. An intervention could involve: pre-arranged appointments, home visits, and groups and, in general, spaces to be able to "talk".

CONCLUSIONS

The results, in so far as they refer to the grieving process and similarities and differences of type, coincide with other authors. The participants highlighted the importance of psychological support from health workers during the last moments of the illness and the importance of this in how grieving developed. Similarly, they evaluated their own support to the dying spouse as an additional factor which helped them.