Comparing Grief-informed Texts to Other Types of Bereavement Support in the United Kingdom

Background : Grief following the death of a loved one is a near-universal painful human experience associated with an increased risk of mental and physical illness and premature death. In 2022, the UK Commission on Bereavement found significant deficits in the availability, accessibility, length, and helpfulness of bereavement services. Around that time, a national charity in the UK offered free access to Grief Coach , a low-cost, scalable, text message-based grief support program with the potential to fill gaps in bereavement services. This research assessed user satisfaction with Grief Coach , how user satisfaction ratings compared with ratings of other types of grief support received, and whether there were differences in risk level, assessed using measures of well-being and loss-related vulnerability, of those who used Grief Coach alone vs. with formal grief support. Methods : A total of 1631 current Grief Coach subscribers enrolled for 3 months or longer were texted a link to an online survey. UK residents aged 18+ who experienced a death within the past 5 years continued to the survey that assessed demographics, types of grief services received, ratings of perceived availability, accessibility, length, and helpfulness of Grief Coach and other services, well-being using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale, and loss-related vulnerability using the Adult Attitude to Grief Scale. Results : 430 program enrollees (26.4%) responded to the survey, and 314 (73.0%) met inclusion criteria and completed it. In that group, 91.7% expressed satisfaction with Grief Coach’s availability, 95.3% accessibility, 82.5% length, and 92.9% helpfulness. In paired t-tests, Grief Coach was rated significantly higher on all four dimensions than peer counseling, therapy, general practitioners, social support, and self-help, with most p ’s < .001. No differences emerged between the text message program vs. support groups or funeral directors. There were no significant differences between text-only users and those using texts plus formal support in well-being and loss vulnerability. Conclusions : Findings demonstrate high satisfaction with the availability, accessibility, length, and helpfulness of text message-based grief support. Further research is required to assess clinical effectiveness and how and for whom text messages can fill gaps in bereavement services.