Therapist-Assisted Web-Based Intervention for Prolonged Grief Disorder After Cancer Bereavement: Randomized Controlled Trial
BackgroundBereavement due to cancer increases the risk of prolonged grief disorder. However, specialized treatment options for prolonged grief after a loss due to illness are still scarce. ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to extend previous findings by evaluating...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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JMIR Publications
2022-02-01
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| Series: | JMIR Mental Health |
| Online Access: | https://mental.jmir.org/2022/2/e27642 |
| _version_ | 1797735355644903424 |
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| author | Julia Kaiser Michaela Nagl Rahel Hoffmann Katja Linde Anette Kersting |
| author_facet | Julia Kaiser Michaela Nagl Rahel Hoffmann Katja Linde Anette Kersting |
| author_sort | Julia Kaiser |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
BackgroundBereavement due to cancer increases the risk of prolonged grief disorder. However, specialized treatment options for prolonged grief after a loss due to illness are still scarce.
ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to extend previous findings by evaluating a web-based cognitive behavioral intervention with asynchronous therapist support, consisting of structured writing tasks adapted specifically for prolonged grief after cancer bereavement.
MethodsThe intervention was evaluated in a purely web-based randomized waitlist-controlled trial. Open-access recruitment of participants was conducted on the web. Prolonged grief (Inventory of Complicated Grief), depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, posttraumatic growth, somatization, sleep quality, and mental and physical health were assessed on the web via validated self-report measures.
ResultsA total of 87 participants were randomized into the intervention group (IG; 44/87, 51%) or the waitlist control group (43/87, 49%). Of the participants, 7% (6/87) dropped out of the study (5/44, 11%, in the IG). Of the 39 completers in the IG, 37 (95%) completed all intervention tasks. The intervention reduced symptoms of prolonged grief (intention-to-treat: P<.001; η2=0.34; Cohen d=0.80) to a clinically significant extent. It had favorable effects on depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, posttraumatic growth, and overall mental health but not on somatization, sleep quality, or physical health.
ConclusionsThe web-based intervention for prolonged grief after cancer bereavement is effective in reducing symptoms of prolonged grief disorder and accompanying syndromes in a timely, easily realizable manner and addresses specific challenges of bereavement to illness. Considering web-based approaches in future mental health care policy and practice can reduce health care gaps for those who are bereaved to cancer.
Trial RegistrationGerman Clinical Trial Register U1111–1186-6255; https://www.drks.de/drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00011001 |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:57:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bb23bb63d58641f8a162838c54184fd5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2368-7959 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:57:50Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | JMIR Mental Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-bb23bb63d58641f8a162838c54184fd52023-08-28T20:44:46ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR Mental Health2368-79592022-02-0192e2764210.2196/27642Therapist-Assisted Web-Based Intervention for Prolonged Grief Disorder After Cancer Bereavement: Randomized Controlled TrialJulia Kaiserhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-3443-9762Michaela Naglhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-9115-0674Rahel Hoffmannhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-3321-0277Katja Lindehttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-2515-2716Anette Kerstinghttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-5451-490X BackgroundBereavement due to cancer increases the risk of prolonged grief disorder. However, specialized treatment options for prolonged grief after a loss due to illness are still scarce. ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to extend previous findings by evaluating a web-based cognitive behavioral intervention with asynchronous therapist support, consisting of structured writing tasks adapted specifically for prolonged grief after cancer bereavement. MethodsThe intervention was evaluated in a purely web-based randomized waitlist-controlled trial. Open-access recruitment of participants was conducted on the web. Prolonged grief (Inventory of Complicated Grief), depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, posttraumatic growth, somatization, sleep quality, and mental and physical health were assessed on the web via validated self-report measures. ResultsA total of 87 participants were randomized into the intervention group (IG; 44/87, 51%) or the waitlist control group (43/87, 49%). Of the participants, 7% (6/87) dropped out of the study (5/44, 11%, in the IG). Of the 39 completers in the IG, 37 (95%) completed all intervention tasks. The intervention reduced symptoms of prolonged grief (intention-to-treat: P<.001; η2=0.34; Cohen d=0.80) to a clinically significant extent. It had favorable effects on depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, posttraumatic growth, and overall mental health but not on somatization, sleep quality, or physical health. ConclusionsThe web-based intervention for prolonged grief after cancer bereavement is effective in reducing symptoms of prolonged grief disorder and accompanying syndromes in a timely, easily realizable manner and addresses specific challenges of bereavement to illness. Considering web-based approaches in future mental health care policy and practice can reduce health care gaps for those who are bereaved to cancer. Trial RegistrationGerman Clinical Trial Register U1111–1186-6255; https://www.drks.de/drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00011001https://mental.jmir.org/2022/2/e27642 |
| spellingShingle | Julia Kaiser Michaela Nagl Rahel Hoffmann Katja Linde Anette Kersting Therapist-Assisted Web-Based Intervention for Prolonged Grief Disorder After Cancer Bereavement: Randomized Controlled Trial JMIR Mental Health |
| title | Therapist-Assisted Web-Based Intervention for Prolonged Grief Disorder After Cancer Bereavement: Randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_full | Therapist-Assisted Web-Based Intervention for Prolonged Grief Disorder After Cancer Bereavement: Randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_fullStr | Therapist-Assisted Web-Based Intervention for Prolonged Grief Disorder After Cancer Bereavement: Randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_full_unstemmed | Therapist-Assisted Web-Based Intervention for Prolonged Grief Disorder After Cancer Bereavement: Randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_short | Therapist-Assisted Web-Based Intervention for Prolonged Grief Disorder After Cancer Bereavement: Randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_sort | therapist assisted web based intervention for prolonged grief disorder after cancer bereavement randomized controlled trial |
| url | https://mental.jmir.org/2022/2/e27642 |
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