Posttraumatic growth among participating and non-participating organ donor families in grief support groups

Abstract

This article aimed to assess posttraumatic growth among participating and nonparticipating families of organ donors in grief support groups. The program, in the form of both face-to-face and WhatsApp groups, is unique in that it extends over many years without limitation for a predefined period, is open to both immediate and extended family members, and is conducted according to predetermined topics. A questionnaire was completed by 84 participants and 115 non-participant family members. Most participants had attended for between 1 and 5 years (57.2%), although 33.3% had participated for >5 years, including 16.7% who participated for >10 years. All measures of posttraumatic growth were significantly higher in group participants (3.40 [0.75] vs. 3.15 [0.75], p = .010) than non-participants. The often-prolonged participation in the groups suggests there may be an important need for ongoing contact with and support for these families even many years after the loss.