Less is more: the implications generated from RCT of the Dual Process bereavement group

Abstract

To be designated as 'good practice', an intervention would need to have at least (1) a sound theoretical base, (2) at least one well designed study (e.g. RCT, quasi-experimental design), (3) a clearly layout practice protocol, (4) a reasonable amount of training, (5) the possibility of being used in common settings, and (6) the reliability or validity of outcome measures. Adopted the Dual Process Model, Dr. Amy Chow and her team developed an ingenious Dual Process Bereavement Group Intervention (DPBGI) for the bereaved older adults. It was a two-arm cluster randomised controlled trial, with a Loss-Oriented Bereavement Group Intervention as the control condition (N=125). The outcomes included grief and emotional reactions, loneliness and social support and the measurements were taken at pre-intervention, post-intervention and 16-week follow-up. Group and time effects were observed in grief, anxiety, and loneliness, with the DPBGI having much larger effect sizes. . To conclude, evidence in practice provides policy makers, practitioners and service users with confidence in the quality of care to be received by our service users. As social work researchers, we hope to promote evidence-based research and practice among interested academics and practitioners.