Project Details
Projekt
Treating Prolonged Grief Disorder with Prolonged Grief-Specific Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (PROGRID)
Applicant
Professorin Dr. Rita Rosner
Subject Area
Personality Psychology, Clinical and Medical Psychology, Methodology
Term
since 2016
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 286629540
Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) is a persistent and disabling grief reaction following the death of a significant other, which will be included in the upcoming ICD-11. The prevalence of PGD is estimated to be around 5%, with high comorbidity rates. Cognitive behavioural treatment (CBT) has been shown to be effective in targeting prolonged grief symptoms, but less so with secondary outcomes, e.g., depression and overall mental health. Results of our pilot study showed that somatoform disorders in particular were surprisingly prevalent in PGD patients, and that an otherwise highly effective grief-specific cognitive behavioural treatment (PG-CBT) was less effective in somatization. This randomized controlled trial will evaluate PG-CBT enhanced with an additional treatment module for somatoform symptoms in comparison to a supportive control condition with basic therapeutic elements (Present-Centered Therapy, PCT). 204 PGD patients will be randomized to either PG-CBT or PCT to show a relevant minimal clinical difference of 5.5 points in mean change at the PG-13 severity scale between baseline and 12 month follow-up between the groups, with a power of 80%, alpha level of 5%. The procedure is designed to avoid bias as much as possible (stratification, blind outcome assessment, ITT analysis, balanced treatment dose, control for allegiance effects). Results will advance and inform the development of treatment guidelines for this new diagnosis internationally as well as nationally.
DFG Programme
Clinical Trials
