A controlled study examining CBT for bereaved children.

Recruiting

• Conditions: The death of a loved one in childhood and adolescence is a risk factor for distress and dysfunction. This event has been associated with increased emotional problems including elevated depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress, as well as somatic complaints and behavioural problems (Dowdney, 2008; Kaplow, Layne, & Pynoos, 2012). An estimated 5% to 10% of children, experience clinically significant psychiatric problems following loss, including major depression, posttraumatic stress-disorder (PTSD), and Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) (Melhem, Moritz, Walker, Shear, & Brent, 2007; Melhem, Porta, Shamseddeen, Walker, & Brent, 2011).PGD encompasses several symptoms including separation distress, preoccupation with thoughts about the lost person, a sense of purposelessness about the future, numbness, bitterness, difficulties accepting the loss and difficulty moving on with life without the lost person (Prigerson et al., 2009; Shear et al., 2011). Although PGD has mostly been studied among adults, a growing body of empirical studies has shown that children and adolescents can develop PGD symptoms, that can be reliably assessed, are distinct from normal grief, depression and anxiety, including PTSD, and are predictive of significant concomitant internalizing and externalizing problems (Brown & Goodman, 2005; Dillen, Fontaine, & Verhofstadt-Denève, 2008; Spuij, Prinzie et al., 2012; Spuij, Reitz et al., 2012). Evidence that, in a small percentage of people, acute grief reactions turn into chronic debilitating distress, blocking reestablishment of normal routines, will likely lead to the inclusion of two bereavement-related disorders in the DSM-5, namely Adjustment Disorder Related to Bereavement, located in its main text, and Persistent Complex Bereavement-Related Disorder, located in its appendix (APA, 2000; APA, 2012; for discussions see Boelen & Prigerson, 2012; Kaplow et al., 2012

• Registration Number: NL-OMON25798
• Lead Sponsor: niversiteit UtrechtFaculteit Sociale WetenschappenDepartement Kinder- en JeugdstudiesPostbus 801403508 TC UTRECHTNederland

Brief Summary

/A

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Last Update Posted: 11 June 2024

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: Recruiting
• Sex: Not specified
• Target Recruitment: 160

Inclusion Criteria

1. Children aged 8-18 years;

2. Suffered the loss of a loved one at least six months ago;

Exclusion Criteria

1. Severe suicide ideation with child or parent(s);

2. Receiving concurrent psychosocial help;

Study & Design

• Study Type: Interventional
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
The primary goal is to examine the (preventive) effects of the two treatments on symptoms of prolonged grief disorder (PGD). Accordingly, the primary dependent variable is the intensity of PGD symptoms, as assessed by the Dutch version of the Inventory of Prolonged Grief (IPG). This measure will be administered at 5 assessment moments (i.e., before the first treatment session, after the last treatment session, and 3, 6, and 12 months after the last treatment session).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Apart form the effects of the treatment on symptoms of Prolonged Grief Disorder , we will also examine the effects of treatments on conduct problems, posttraumatic stress symptoms and symptoms of depression.