Background: Sociologists, anthropologists, and psychologists agree that grief is a universal phenomenon. Reactions to it are, however, socially constructed and patterned.
Objective: To compare the outcomes of bereavement among family or close friends of deceased first-generation black Caribbean and white native-born patients living in the United Kingdom.
Design: Comparative cross-sectional questionnaire survey in three inner London health authorities administered 10 months after the patient's death.
Participants: Family and close friends of 50 deceased first-generation black Caribbean and 50 native-born white patients with advanced disease.
Main outcome measures: 28-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), Core Bereavement Items scale, a 17-item measure of grief.
Results: The intensity of grief, measured using the Core Bereavement Items was similar between the two groups. Seventy-two respondents had visited their family doctor subsequent to bereavement, and of these, black Caribbean respondents reported more psychological problems. Depression and anxiety measured by the GHQ-28 were significantly higher among black Caribbean respondents (28.00 vs. 21.2) (t-test = -2.28, p = 0.025). Multiple regression analysis revealed this difference was best accounted for by bereavement concerns such as legal and housing problems.
Conclusions: This study has observed higher psychological morbidity among the bereaved Caribbean individuals. Family doctors are a source of support for three-quarters of respondents, and they may need to focus on the needs of black and minority ethnic minorities.