Bereavement interventions, end‐of‐life cancer care, and spousal well‐being: A systematic review.

Abstract

Recent comprehensive reviews have concluded that there is little evidence for the effectiveness of bereavement interventions. These reviews have not been limited to investigations of bereavement services for spouses of patients with cancer. This systematic review examined the evidence from 10 articles reporting on eight studies examining outcomes of bereavement interventions and adjustment to bereavement following specialized end-of-life patient care for spouses of patients with cancer. Patient end-of-life interventions may positively influence bereavement outcomes for spouses, but based on the available evidence, it is difficult to draw definitive conclusions about the effectiveness of bereavement group interventions for spouses of patients with cancer. Methodologically rigorous studies with larger sample sizes are required to determine the effectiveness of these interventions.