Religion helps bereaved, research claims

Firm religious beliefs and holding a wake have been found to help people cope better with spousal bereavement, according to a new study.

It also revealed that bereaved people find the second and third years after a death are the hardest. The study, the first detailed research of bereavement in Ireland, highlighted that about 25 per cent of people experience ongoing difficulties dealing with the death of a spouse.

Dr Helen Greally, a Galway-based clinical psychologist who carried out the research, said this group didn't adapt. "People in this group continued to have significant difficulties even three and a half years after their loss. That would be in keeping with international studies.

"One finding, which is interesting in an Irish context, is that people with a higher level of religious beliefs did better over time. They had lower levels of depression, higher levels of self-esteem, and better coping patterns than people who had lower levels of religiosity."

She said social support was also a key factor. One or two close friends or relatives could help people overcome grief.

People who held a traditional Irish wake also handled their grief better. A key coping mechanism, particularly in the first year, was having specific tasks to do, she said.

Dr Greally interviewed 53 people at four specific times over a three-and-a-half-year period. The gender split was almost 50/50 and the ages ranged from mid-30s to mid-60s.

She interviewed people first at six months after the death. The second was just after the first anniversary at 13 months, the third was at 20 months and the fourth was about 18 months later. "The research took eight years. It showed that the core of real grief, the really difficult days and weeks, comes in the second and third years.

This is for a variety of reasons, she noted. "The level of social support falls away because people expect you to be better. And after the first anniversary the reality of the loss has kicked in; things like eating alone or taking over the bank accounts." People should use the same coping mechanisms that they normally use for stress, she added.

Dr Greally said it was very important GPs do not confuse grief with depression. "They are not the same thing although they may present in similar ways. This study highlighted that only a very small proportion of bereaved people would benefit from anti-depressants."

However, a positive finding was more than 75 per cent of the people had worked through their grief by the last interview. "They now have very full and fruitful lives," Dr Greally said.

Dr Greally will present her findings in a public lecture on Thursday, June 9th at 7.30pm in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin.