Sunday Club will help widowers with grief and loneliness

The National Mourning Center is launching a new group for men over 65 who have lost a partner to help them through grief and loneliness.

(Archive) Sunday clubs in Copenhagen and Vejle will be run by volunteers who have also lost a partner. (© Maskot/Ritzau Scanpix) 49 minutes ago

It can be both lonely and confusing when one's partner dies - and therefore there should be better help for those who are experiencing it.

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> We know there are more men who are sitting in despair, but we're not really getting a hold of them.

> Christina Buur Steffensen, psychologist at the National Mourning Center

The National Mourning Center believes this, which is why they are now launching the Sunday Club for men over 65 who have lost a partner.

For this group, it is harder to accept help and open up about grief.

This is what Christina Buur Steffensen, who is a psychologist at the National Mourning Center, and who has been involved in developing the concept of the Sunday Club, says.

- They experience loneliness and despair, which can lead to lower psychological well-being, more hospitalizations, and an increased risk of suicide in the first year after loss. We know there are more men who are sitting in despair, but we're not really getting a hold of them, she says.

In the Sunday Club, it will be possible for men to meet with others in the same situation. They will meet over everyday activities, such as having lunch, Christina Buur Steffensen explains.

- It will be activities that can be shared, that do not deal with grief. Conversations about grief will arise spontaneously, so the pressure will be taken away a bit.

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Social interaction is important

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At the Forum for Men's Health, they recognize the importance of the initiative, says Svend Aage Madsen, who is chairman and researcher at Rigshospital.

He also emphasizes the increased risk of suicide among men who have lost a partner.

The initiative has been set up, among other things, because many men need to be pushed out into social activities, which in the end benefits them and the grief they are going through. And that is a natural explanation for, explains Svend Aage Madsen.

- In a relationship, it is typically women who have taken the initiative for social gatherings. But we all have a need to talk and be with other people, especially in a grief process, he says, and therefore he is happy that the Sunday Club is being launched.

The Sunday Club will open in Copenhagen and Vejle in May 2025 and will be held on Sundays in alternate weeks.

One can sign up for the Sunday Club on the National Mourning Center's website ( https://sorgcenter.dk/2025/02/27/sondagsklubben-nyt-faellesskab-for-maend-der-har-mistet-en-partner-i-kobenhavn/ ).

If you are having thoughts of suicide, you can call the Lifeline on phone number 70201201.

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