title: Efficacy of an outpatient treatment for prolonged grief disorder: a randomized controlled clinical trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Abnormal forms of grief, currently referred to as complicated grief or prolonged grief disorder, have been discussed extensively in recent years. While the diagnostic criteria are still debated, there is no doubt that prolonged grief is disabling and may require treatment. To date, few interventions have demonstrated efficacy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated whether outpatients suffering from prolonged grief disorder (PGD) benefit from a newly developed integrative cognitive behavioural therapy for prolonged grief (PG-CBT). A total of 51 patients were randomized into two groups, stratified by the type of death and their relationship to the deceased; 24 patients composed the treatment group and 27 patients composed the wait list control group (WG). Treatment consisted of 20-25 sessions. Main outcome was change in grief severity; secondary outcomes were reductions in general psychological distress and in comorbidity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients on average had 2.5 comorbid diagnoses in addition to PGD. Between group effect sizes were large for the improvement of grief symptoms in treatment completers (Cohen׳s d=1.61) and in the intent-to-treat analysis (d=1.32). Comorbid depressive symptoms also improved in PG-CBT compared to WG. The completion rate was 79% in PG-CBT and 89% in WG.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The major limitations of this study were a small sample size and that PG-CBT took longer than the waiting time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PG-CBT was found to be effective with an acceptable dropout rate. Given the number of bereaved people who suffer from PGD, the results are of high clinical relevance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilian-University of Munich, Germany; Catholic University Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Ostenstr. 25, D-85071 Eichstätt, Germany. Electronic address: rita.rosner@ku.de.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rosner
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilian-University of Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pfoh
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilian-University of Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Michaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kotoučová
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilian-University of Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hagl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Bereavement; Complicated grief; Persistent complex bereavement-related disorder; Prolonged grief disorder; Psychotherapy; Randomized controlled trial