This article notes that bereaved parents are more likely to join a support group when they experience a very traumatic loss & do not find others who have suffered a similar loss in their usual social network. Data on 43 support group participants & 42 nonparticipants were obtained through questionnaires & telephone interviews. Interview questions & demographic data are included. One implication derived from study results is the necessity of exercising caution in studying bereavement (38 Refs.)