title: Grief work with substance abusers.
abstract: This article focuses on the implementation and outcome of a grief group study conducted with substance abusers. Group participants were chosen through a stratified random sampling from a residential drug and alcohol treatment facility. Control and experimental groups were used to test the efficacy of grief group therapy. Study results indicated that treatment group participants were significantly less depressed and better able to resolve painful feelings about their losses. The grief group approach is generic and can be modified to meet the needs of varied target groups. The distinctive approach and the empirical results both were completed by a clinician without disrupting the facility, patients or clinician's daily practices.
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*