Promoting positive affect and diminishing loneliness of widowed seniors through a support intervention

Seniors are most vulnerable to conjugal bereavement. Although social suppor t buffers the effects of bereavement. widows and widowers have lower levels of social support than married individuals. Self-help/support groups can s upplement support from their depleted natural networks. Accordingly, the ai m of this demonstration project was to examine the impact of support groups on widowed seniors' loneliness. affect, and perceived support. Four face-t o-face support groups for widowed seniors were conducted weekly for a maxim um of 20 weeks. Participants completed pretest, posttest, and delayed posttest measures of support need and support satisfaction, positive and negative affect, and lo neliness/isolation. The statistically significant impacts of the interventi on were enhanced support satisfaction, diminished support needs, and increa sed positive affect. There was a trend toward decreased social isolation an d emotional loneliness. In postintervention semistructured interviews, bere aved seniors reported increased hope, improved skills in developing social relationships, enhanced coping, new role identities, and less loneliness. C ommunity health nurse researchers could conduct randomized controlled trial s of face-to-face and telephone support groups for bereaved people of all a ges. Community health nurse practitioners could benefit from lessons learne d about timing, duration, and selection of sensitive outcomes.