Do HUGG support groups work?

In 2020 we agreed to take part in a research study by NSRF, funded by the Irish Research Council

Seventy-five HUGG group members took the survey between Aug 2020 and May 2021.

The study aimed to find out if by attending a HUGG suicide bereavement support group there was a positive effect on the wellbeing and traumatic grief of participants

We are happy to say that the findings were very positive.

KEY FINDINGS

After participating in a HUGG group, those surveyed said they experienced a significant improvement in overall mental wellbeing.

We also found a significant reduction in symptoms of traumatic grief and physical (somatic) symptoms of grief.

Some of the main benefits of HUGG groups were:

• Shared understanding of suicide bereavement
• Safe space to talk, free of judgement
• Sense of belonging and connection
• Sense of hope and strength
• Flexibility to contact peers outside of meetings
• Information and advice

Listening to the lived experience of those who are bereaved by suicide is a big part of what we advocate for in HUGG and we’d like to share a few quotes from those who took part:

“I think the thing I felt the most
was I felt really alone in my
grief, like I felt no-one else
understood […].That’s what I get
in [peer-support group] and
that’s the only place I have had
that and have since, so it’s really
important to me”.

“You don’t have to put everything

into the perfect words to make
somebody understand because
they already understand. So that
is the best part, is that they do.”

“It’s really helpful for people early
on to see someone sitting there
breathing, alive, after four or
five years of this and saying ‘It
does get better.”

 

To view the full report please click here and to read a summary of the report please click here