A computer-based intervention may be effective for treating bereavement as measured by scores of prolonged grief, anxiety, depression, and cognitive distortions.

Philadelphia, PA

Many people suffer from complications due to grieving the death of a loved one, an experience known as bereavement. In addition to the emotional suffering, complications can lead to functional impairment, negatively impacting relationships, work, and health of those who grieve. Although there are evidence-based interventions for bereavements, there are barriers to treatment, including costs and accessibility. Computer-based interventions are empirically demonstrated to overcome these barriers. The present study aims to test the effectiveness of a computer-based single-session treatment for bereavement. It is hypothesized that individuals who complete a computer-based CBT intervention for bereavement will experience a significant decrease in distress surrounding their loss compared to their pre-intervention scores and that this positive outcome will be maintained at three-month follow-up. Researchers will recruit adult participants (ages 18-85) who self-report suffering from bereavement. Recruitment via various social media and email announcements will offer the opportunity to win a gift card for their participation in the study. Potential participants reporting active substance use, psychotic symptoms, and/or severe mental health problems will be excluded.

Participants meeting inclusion criteria will participate in the study via REDCap, by completing a demographic questionnaire as well as the pre-intervention measures of the Prolonged Grief Scale (PG-13), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the General Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), and the Inventory of Cognitive Distortions (ICD). Participants will then have the opportunity to participate in a computer-based treatment, a pilot CBT/ACT intervention, validating the significance of their loss and reframing the aggrieved individual’s life as an opportunity to honor the departed loved one. After completing treatment, participants will complete all four measures again and at a three-month follow-up interval. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) will be computed to check for significance in differences between pre- and post-intervention scores on the aforementioned measures. It is hoped that the results of this study will provide empirical support for a single session, computer-based treatment for bereavement.