| A time-limited 6-week bereavement group intervention utilizing cognitive-behavioral clinical interventions was developed to decrease the level of anxiety, depression, and overall symptomatology in parents of pediatric oncology patients who died of cancer within the last 3 years. In this nonequivalent comparison group design, participants were assigned to a treatment group or nonequivalent comparison group, and measured at primary and secondary endpoints. Study participation consisted of attending 5 of the 6 bereavement group sessions, completion of a demographic questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory, State/Trait Anxiety Inventory, Symptom Checklist 90-Revised, and the Group Cohesiveness Scale. Participants in the bereavement group significantly differed from comparison participants in overall level of symptomatology. Higher levels of group cohesion correlated with a greater decrease in level of overall symptomatology. Parents with more time elapsed since their child's death had a greater decrease in phobic anxiety, depression, and overall symptomatology. |
