Therapist-assisted Internet Cognitive Therapy for Prolonged Grief
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A digital approach to grief support and post-loss mental health problems
IRAS ID
311815
Contact name
Kirsten Smith
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Oxford / Research Governance, Ethics & Assurance
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 30 days
Research summary
Following a bereavement, sometimes grief can get stuck in a lasting state of distress that interferes with functioning in daily life. This is known as Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD). Research suggests that approximately 7-14% of bereaved people will struggle to adapt after their loss, resulting in 175,000-350,000 new cases of PGD every year. Grief support is still largely provided in an unstructured way delivered via trained volunteers. Resources are limited and many individuals who need support are unable to access it. This project aims to develop and provide initial support for a digital intervention for PGD.
Recent findings suggest that the way a person recalls their loss, thinks about themselves, their loss and others, and connects to others socially are linked to severe and long-lasting grief reactions. Targeting these factors in therapy is likely to prove helpful in reducing distress after loss. This project aims to maximise access to a bereavement support programme by delivering the content of the programme over the internet with help from trained therapists. Users log in to the programme at their convenience and work their way through the targeted modules personalised to their needs with support from their therapist via a messaging system and weekly phone calls. A linked smartphone/tablet application can help the user with specific problems on the go, such as sleep support, in-the-moment coping strategies, and the ability to track their distress on a daily basis. They can also chat with other users of the programme in the ‘Connect’ feature.
The proposed project will develop and test the acceptability of the programme to bereaved adults by conducting a developmental case series, and an acceptability and feasibility randomised controlled trial.
The MHRA have reviewed this study and is of the opinion that the software does not constitute a medical device.REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Bradford Leeds Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/YH/0061
Date of REC Opinion
11 Apr 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion