Funeral support services for socio-economically deprived bereaved people in Hong Kong: An exploratory study of their effectiveness.

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of funeral support services for socio-economically deprived bereaved people in Hong Kong. Via a questionnaire, service users were asked to report their psychosocial status in different domains before and after the services. A quasi-experimental design was also used to compare service users with non-service users in different psychosocial domains after the funerals had taken place. Findings showed that service users indicated positive changes after the use of the services, such as reduced negative emotions and enhanced understanding of how post-death matters/funerals could be handled. This study provides preliminary evidence of the benefits of funeral support services and suggests the importance of funeral support for socio-economically deprived bereaved people. Findings may help reflect on the provision and accessibility of funeral support services in the community and give insights into the way formal bereavement service providers may better support bereaved people in the community.