Abstract
This study describes the impact of a supportive telephone call on grief 4 months after the death of a family member. The study design involved a quasi-experimental intervention group (n = 70) and a control group (n = 155). The intervention was a supportive telephone call after the death of a family member. Grief reactions were measured with the Hogan Grief Reactions Checklist. Results were completed by content analysis of family members' experiences of the intervention. Chi-square and t tests were used to compare the associations with demographic data, and logistic regression analysis was used to compare the responses. The results pointed to differences in despair and personal growth between the groups. The participants experienced the supportive telephone call positively for the most part. Negative experiences were associated with promises to call in which the call never reached the participant. Grieving family members' positive experiences of the call indicate that there is a need for individual support after the death, given by nurses of the wards in which the deceased received care.