Meaning-based Group Counselling for Bereavement

Sponsor

Jewish General Hospital (Other)

Overall Status

Completed

CT.gov ID

NCT01384942

Collaborator

McGill University (Other), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) (Other)

Enrollment

Location

Arms

Duration (Months)

0.6

Patients Per Site Per Month

Study Details

Study Description

Brief Summary

Given that individuals in bereavement tend to experience substantial psychological distress in the first two years following loss, individuals seeking psychological support will need appropriate services grounded in sound empirical scholarship. There is a lack of studies assessing bereavement groups, despite groups being one of the most common forms by which such services are offered. The prominent and emerging process of meaning-reconstruction in bereavement research is theorized to lead to better psychological adjustment and prevent more prolonged grief reactions. The principal objective of this study is to compare two types of group counseling for individuals in bereavement: A novel meaning-based bereavement counseling group and a conventional bereavement support group.

Condition or Disease	Intervention/Treatment	Phase
Grief Bereavement	Behavioral: Meaning-Based Bereavement Group Behavioral: Conventional Bereavement Group	Phase 2

Study Design

Study Type:

Interventional

Actual Enrollment :

26 participants

Allocation:

Randomized

Intervention Model:

Parallel Assignment

Masking:

None (Open Label)

Primary Purpose:

Supportive Care

Official Title:

The Development and Pilot Testing of Meaning-based Group Counselling Intervention for Bereavement

Study Start Date :

Jun 1, 2010

Actual Primary Completion Date :

Mar 1, 2012

Actual Study Completion Date :

Oct 1, 2013

Arms and Interventions

Arm	Intervention/Treatment
Experimental: Meaning-Based Bereavement Group	Behavioral: Meaning-Based Bereavement Group A 12 week bereavement counselling group with tasks and themes that focus on re-constructing meaning following death.
Active Comparator: Conventional Bereavement Group	Behavioral: Conventional Bereavement Group An 8 week traditional bereavement group that follows a more conventional approach to grief support.

Arm

Intervention/Treatment

Experimental: Meaning-Based Bereavement Group

Behavioral: Meaning-Based Bereavement Group

A 12 week bereavement counselling group with tasks and themes that focus on re-constructing meaning following death.

Active Comparator: Conventional Bereavement Group

Behavioral: Conventional Bereavement Group

An 8 week traditional bereavement group that follows a more conventional approach to grief support.

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

Grief [24 weeks]
Descriptive statistical analysis (e.g., means, standard deviations, percentage of scale range improvements) will be conducted on the pre-test, post-test, and follow-up scores for both the experimental and control group on the following outcome measures (1) Grief: Revised Grief Experience Inventory; Core Bereavement; Hogan Grief Reaction Checklist
Meaning [24 weeks]
Descriptive statistical analysis (e.g., means, standard deviations, percentage of scale range improvements) will be conducted on the pre-test, post-test, and follow-up scores for both the experimental and control group on the following outcome measures (1) Meaning: Purpose in Life Test; The Grief and Meaning-Reconstruction Inventory; The Integration of Stressful Life Experiences Scale
Depression [24 Weeks]
Descriptive statistical analysis (e.g., means, standard deviations, percentage of scale range improvements) will be conducted on the pre-test, post-test, and follow-up scores for both the experimental and control group on the following outcome measures (1) Depression: Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale
Anxiety [24 Weeks]
Descriptive statistical analysis (e.g., means, standard deviations, percentage of scale range improvements) will be conducted on the pre-test, post-test, and follow-up scores for both the experimental and control group on the following outcome measures (1)Anxiety: State-Trait Anxiety Scale

Eligibility Criteria

Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years and Older

Sexes Eligible for Study:

All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

Yes

Inclusion Criteria:

Individuals presenting for bereavement services that have experienced a death-related loss within 6 weeks to 2 years of the first meeting of the group, and are experiencing an uncomplicated grief response will be invited to participate.
Individuals will be assessed for their ability to participate in a group counselling context as well as an uncomplicated grief trajectory. Participants must be 18 years of age or older, have sufficient ability to communicate in English, as well as read English.

Exclusion Criteria:

Following a clinical/diagnostic interview and administration of the PG-13 (Prolonged Grief Disorder-13, Prigerson et al., 2009), individuals experiencing a complicated/prolonged grief trajectory are excluded.
Furthermore, individuals whose cognitive condition might make the study burdensome or impossible for them are excluded.