Web Based Therapist and Patient Tutorials on Prolonged Grief. Study 1

The investigators developed a short-term, manualized Prolonged Grief Disorder Therapy (PGDT), originally known as Complicated Grief Treatment and found it efficacious in three large National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) sponsored randomized controlled trials. Facilitating access to training in Empirically Based Treatments has been identified as a national priority by both mental health professional organizations and NIMH. One way to help disseminate therapist training on EBT of Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) is through the use of new technologies. The investigators recently developed an online therapist training program in PGDT and a patient facing therapist-assisted web-based form of PGDT. The investigators are now looking to evaluate the acceptability and effectiveness of each of these online tools in pilot studies.

The tutorial contains 10 modules, each about 20-40 minutes long with information needed for effective delivery of PGDT. Participants will be encouraged to space out the tutorial vs. taking it in a few long sessions, to facilitate knowledge retention. A post-test will be given immediately after completing each module, as testing done closer to when the material was learned also improves retention. Participants will be encouraged to complete the tutorial within 5 weeks (about one hour or two modules per week). Consistent with continuing education guidelines, successful completion will require an overall score of 80% on post-tests. Participants would need to retake the module until a passing score is obtained. Interactive Patient Scenarios will be integrated into the tutorial at strategic points, in order to integrate conceptual and applied knowledge. All participants will be asked to evaluate whether the stated learning goals of each module were met and complete user satisfaction questionnaires on both the technical aspects of the on-line tutorial (using the System Usability Scale), and the clinical content (using the User Satisfaction Questionnaire). Participants will have access to the tutorial indefinitely, in order to provide a resource that they can refer back to as they begin to use these skills with patients.