Is Online Peer Support Helpful in Widowhood? The Lived Experiences of Young Parents

Abstract

With the technological development in general, grief support has now gained a foothold on the internet with a huge variety of offers for bereaved individuals. However, researchers disagree whether this is mainly helpful or unhelpful in grief. The aim of this article was to examine how spousally bereaved individuals with dependent children had experienced the use of an online peer support group following bereavement. To the majority of respondents (83%, n = 70) the group had been immensely helpful. Thematic analysis of participant responses to open-ended questions resulted in three different themes: Identification, Good advice, and Changes in group use over time. The study underlines a need for a renewed focus on how we organize the support for parentally bereaved families in Denmark, and in particular, how the access to information and sources of support following a loss are made available across the board. Finally, the results testify to the fact that online peer support in grief is a means of seeking support in its own right.