Crisis Intervention: Effects of Crisis Intervention on Family Survivors of Sudden Death Situations

A controlled study that examined the effects of a short-term crisis service given to a group of families recently bereaved through a sudden death within the family is reported. The results reveal that sudden death does have a major impact on recently bereaved families in terms of increased risk to ill health, poor coping behavior, and disturbed social functioning when compared to nonbereaved families. However the short-term crisis service appeared to have no major impact upon adjustment.