Loss-grief addiction model

Evaluation of a Grief Group for Women in Residential Substance Abuse Treatment

Most women in substance abuse treatment have experienced significant losses. This preliminary study examined the effectiveness of a therapy group addressing grief and loss among women enrolled in a gender-specific residential substance abuse treatment program. The intervention group consisted of 24 grief group participants and the comparison group consisted of 31 nonparticipants. Qualitative analysis revealed a pattern: participants identified traumatic loss, moved to emotional loss and abandonment by their own mothers, then focused on their own children. Data obtained at induction and at exit or follow-up were used for quantitative analysis. Length of stay, self-esteem, depression, mood, and parenting attitudes were assessed using standardized instruments. Women who participated in the grief group remained in treatment longer. While both groups were depressed and had low self-esteem at induction, the self-esteem of nonparticipants was significantly lower than that of participants. Both groups improved over time on mood, depression, and parenting. At exit or follow-up, participants had higher self-esteem. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that higher self-esteem at induction made it possible for women to participate in and benefit from the grief group, thus contributing to length of stay. To test this hypothesis we conducted regression analyses which found that, individually, group status (participation) and self-esteem explained 11% of the variance in length of stay. However, since the number of women with available data varied for group status and self-esteem, group status was a significant predictor of length of stay and self-esteem showed only a trend toward significance. These findings support our hypothesis. The women's pattern of disclosure and the hypotheses drawn from the results of this preliminary analysis will be examined further in an evaluation of a series of groups focused on loss and grief.

A life review interview guide: a structured systems approach to information gathering

This clinical project introduces a guide to provide the interviewer with a methodological systems approach for information gathering in the life review process. The guide is structured in such a way as to elicit positive life events for the purpose of enhancing a sense of well-being as well as to elicit negative life events to encourage the client to address unresolved loss-grief issues. In effect, the Life Review Interview Guide serves to promote high self-esteem and to assist the interviewee through the grieving process. In addition, the Guide assisted the student-interviewer in formulating and selecting a wide range of questions.

Beechem Risk Inventory for late-onset alcoholism

This group study features an at-risk inventory administered to ninety-six respondents. The principle purposes of this study were: 1) to design a "user-friendly" assessment tool to identify elderly persons who may be at risk for drinking problems and/or late-life alcoholism; and 2) to identify unresolved loss-grief issues that will need to be addressed in the treatment phase. For each of the loss items, the respondent indicates whether the loss occurred at "(A) Age Fifty-Four and Younger" or "(B) Age Fifty-Five and Older." The respondent also subjectively indicates the extent to which he/she feels the intensity of the loss at the moment (i.e., in the "here and now"). An additional feature of the inventory illustrates a simplified procedure to compute the respondent's unresolved loss-grief level through use of a 5-point Likert scale.