Introduction:Widowhood imposes difficult challenges. The aim of this study was to investigate prevalence and predictors of access to bereavement interventions during the 6 months after the death of a husband/male partner to cancer.
Methods: All women (n=506) living in Sweden under 80 years of age who lost their husband/partner owing to prostate cancer in 1996 or of the cancer of the urinary bladder in 1995 or 1996 were asked to answer an anonymous postal questionnaire 2-4 years after their loss.
Results: 39% stated that they would not have needed psychological support by caregivers during the first 6 month of bereavement. 2/3 of the others did not have any access to psychological support, 10% had little access, 11% moderate access and 12% had much access to psychological support. Similar figures were observed for other bereavement interventions such as information, economic counselling, and support groups. Emotional relations during the last months prior to bereavement, intensity of faith, education, earlier mental health problems and a prostate cancer diagnosis were all positively correlated with access to psychological support by caregivers, whereas previously identified risk factors for excess morbidity in widowhood were not.
Conclusion: A large majority of Swedish widows that lost their husband to cancer in 1995 and 1996 indicate a need for psychological support, information and economic counselling. Caregivers did not meet this need and help was not aimed at important groups at risk for morbidity.