title: Psychosocial Well-Being of Young People Who Participated in a Support Group Following the Loss of a Parent to Cancer.
abstract: Despite the evidence of unmet support needs among young people who have lost a parent to cancer, only a few support group initiatives have been reported. This observational prospective study explored the psychosocial well-being of young people who participated in support groups at a Swedish specialist palliative care setting. On three occasions, 29 participants, aged 16-28 years, answered questionnaires covering characteristics of the participants, circumstances of the losses, psychosocial well-being of the young people, and their own assessment of the support groups. The support groups attracted mostly young women who were often unprepared for the loss. The living arrangements differed between younger and older participants; however, the loss-related variables did not differ. Significant positive changes were found regarding a sense of meaning in their future life and life satisfaction. The helpfulness of the group was assessed as high/very high and the group brought a valuable fellowship with others in a similar situation. Universality and beneficial interactions were reported and strengthened psychosocial well-being developed over time. This change, according to the young people themselves, may be attributed to the group support. The findings are useful for planning interventions to support young people in bereavement in order to enhance their psychosocial well-being.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society , Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden.|b Stockholms Sjukhem Foundation , Stockholm , Sweden.
authors.forename: Mariann
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Olsson
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society , Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden.|c Palliative Research Centre , Ersta Sköndal University College , Stockholm , Sweden.|d Department of Social Work , Karolinska University Hospital , Stockholm , Sweden.
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lundberg
authors.affiliation: e Department of Clinical Sciences , Lund University , Lund , Sweden.
authors.forename: Carl Johan
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Fürst
authors.affiliation: f Institute of Health Care Sciences, University of Gothenburg Centre for Person-Centred Care , University of Gothenburg , Gothenburg.
authors.forename: Joakim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Öhlén
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society , Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden.|d Department of Social Work , Karolinska University Hospital , Stockholm , Sweden.|g Department of Social Work and Psychology , Gävle University , Gävle , Sweden.
authors.forename: Ulla
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Forinder
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001601:Bereavement; D000066498:Emotional Adjustment; D005260:Female; D017051:Hospice Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010290:Parents; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adolescents; bereavement; psychosocial well-being; support groups; young adults