Study: Online Multi-component Psychological Intervention for Prevention of Grief Disorder Due to COVID-19

Link to study information: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04638842

Country: Mexico

Start date: 2020-12-24

Publications: Dominguez-Rodriguez, A., Martínez-Luna, S. C., Hernández Jiménez, M. J., De La Rosa-Gómez, A., Arenas-Landgrave, P., Esquivel Santoveña, E. E., Arzola-Sánchez, C., Alvarez Silva, J., Solis Nicolas, A. M., Colmenero Guadián, A. M., Ramírez-Martínez, F. R., & Vargas, R. O. C. (2021). A Self-Applied Multi-Component Psychological Online Intervention Based on UX, for the Prevention of Complicated Grief Disorder in the Mexican Population During the COVID-19 Outbreak: Protocol of a Randomized Clinical Trial. Frontiers in psychology, 12, 644782. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.644782

Abstract: The loss of a loved one is perhaps one of the most shocking events in the life of a person. Grief is an emotional experience universal human, unique and painful, that can be delimited in time, which allows the person to adapt to loss and the new reality. In situations, prior to COVID-19, there was a risk of suffering prolonged grief when going through the death of a family member hospitalized and unable to say goodbye. The global COVID-19 pandemic is expected to have a major impact related to the experience of death, dying, and grief, which will make the grieving process difficult. The confusion, anger, and post-traumatic stress are some of the negative effects related to quarantine. It is not only difficult to deal with the loss of the person but at the same time with the interruption of rituals and practices associated with a death such as funerals and burials, which are postponed and performed without the presence of family. Given such data, it is necessary to intervene with proposals that help improve mental health and the management of grief. To provide treatment in such conditions where face-to-face sessions are not possible, and the number of patients surpasses the number of available therapists it will be implemented an online intervention based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, Behavioral Activation Therapy, and Positive Psychology. The Online Intervention system "Grief COVID" will be delivered in 12 modules interconnected. The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy and moderators of change of this intervention for the reduction of symptoms of anxiety, depression, hopelessness, and post-traumatic stress, and the increase of the quality of sleep and perception of the quality of life. The contents of this intervention will be implemented through a responsive web application. In order to create the most fitted intervention for the real needs of the participants will be created following the principles of User Experience (UX), with this ensuring that the design characteristics of the tool will meet the desired requirements to be perceived as easy to use, attractive and useful. The UX approach refers to the experience that a user has with a product, with special emphasis on human-product interaction. Secondary study id: VIU-Grief-COVID