Accelerated Resolution Therapy for Complicated Grief

University of South Florida

Status

Completed

Conditions

Depressive Symptoms

Grief

Trauma, Psychological

Treatments

Behavioral: Accelerated Resolution Therapy

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT03484338

1R21AG056584-01

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will examine whether accelerated resolution therapy (ART) is effective for the treatment of prolonged and complicated grief and associated psychological trauma among older adult hospice caregivers who have experienced the death of an immediate family member at least 12 months ago.

Full description

ART is an evidence-based therapy for the treatment of depressive symptoms and trauma and stress-related disorders that includes the core components of trauma-focused therapy including imaging rescripting, voluntary image replacement, guided visualization with use of eye movements, desensitization and processing of distressing memories, and in-vitro exposure to future feared triggers. Mental health professionals are delivering ART in clinical practice to assist with grief; however, there is a need for formal research evaluation of the effects of ART on complicated grief and psychological distress.

Enrollment

54 patients

Sex

All

Ages

60+ years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Adult age 60 years of age or older
previous primary caregiver of immediate family member who died after enrollment in hospice with the death occurring at least 12 months prior to enrollment
current symptoms indicative of proposed diagnostic criteria for complicated grief disorder, as proposed by Shear et al. (2011)
current score of >25 on the 19-item Inventory of Complicated Grief
current symptoms indicative of significant psychological trauma, as documented by score >33on the 20-item DSM-5 PTSD checklist (PCL-5)26 or score >4 on the PDSQ PTSD subscale
denial of suicidal ideation or intent, with no evidence of psychotic behavior

Exclusion criteria

engaged in another psychotherapy regimen that could also influence symptoms of PCG - - major psychiatric disorder (e.g. bipolar disorder) deemed likely to interfere with treatment delivery
current substance abuse dependence (alcohol and/or drug) treatment anticipated to interfere with treatment delivery.