This article describes the derivation and initial psychometric validation of a multi-dimensional Family Appraisal of Caregiving Questionnaire for Palliative Care (FACQ-PC). The 25-item measure consists of four theoretically derived subscales: (i) caregiver strain, (ii) positive caregiving appraisals, (iii) caregiver distress, and (iv) family well-being. Based on a sample of 160 family caregivers of a relative with cancer receiving palliative care, reliability analyses demonstrated the subscale scores to be internally consistent and factor analysis revealed evidence of factorial validity. Correlations of the four subscales with measures of family functioning, positive and negative affect, and subjective burden provided evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. The FACQ-PC provides a measure of the family's appraisal of caregiving that can be used in clinical assessment, and has potential utility for evaluating the effectiveness of palliative care interventions.
This exploratory study investigated the experiences of a small group of people who had participated in professionally led bereavement support groups, with particular emphasis on perceptions of the appropriate timing for initial involvement with a group and the reasons for joining. The results support the need for timely group-based bereavement support. The proposition that bereavement support in the early weeks of bereavement is too early was voiced by some participants but strongly negated by others who found early support of major value to their well-being. Taking account of the small sample size, qualitative data suggest that the reasons for joining are similar regardless of the length of time since the death, although there is evidence that the need for emotional support is felt most acutely by those without adequate family support and who join within the first three months after the death. Findings suggest that group interventions are helpful to target individual circumstances, needs, and reactions throughout the process of mourning and offer direction for future research.
Summary. Two randomly selected groups of mature social work students were examined under conditions of access or non‐access to notes. The first condition was associated with less distress than the second. These conditions were not related to academic performance in a simple way, but there was a strong interactive effect between them and the results on particular examination papers.
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