Bereavement support and prolonged grief disorder among carers of people with motor neurone disease

Abstract

Family carers of people with motor neurone disease (MND) face many difficulties before and after bereavement; their support needs are not routinely assessed and little attention is paid to recognising abnormal grief responses. The authors‘ survey (n=56) sought the views of those involved in the care of this population in England (Motor Neurone Disease Association regional care development advisers, staff working in motor neurone disease care and research centres and other health professionals) on bereavement support and prolonged grief disorder in family carers. Results revealed that more than two-thirds of respondents felt unable to predict future cases of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) and that an alert tool to help identify at-risk carers of people with MND would be welcomed. The implications for future research and development of support are also discussed within this article.