GROw, an Internet-delivered Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (iCBT) for Adults with Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD)

Abstract

Losing a loved one is a painful process with physical, psychological, and social consequences. Between 9.8 and 21.5% of bereaved adults are at risk of developing Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD). There are effective treatments for PGD, but this does not ensure that the treatments reach the people who need them. The aim of this thesis was to explore the feasibility and the potential effectiveness of GROw, a novel Internet-delivered cognitive-behavioral therapy (iCBT) for adults with PGD. This tesis includes a literature review of published studies that have tested an Internet-based treatment for PGD, a multiple-baseline single-case experimental study and a randomized feasibility trial study. The results showed that GROw was feasible and well-accepted in terms of adherence, preferences, expectations, satisfaction, and qualitative opinions about the usefulness of the intervention. In addition, GROw showed strong potential in treating grief-related symptomatology, compared to the same intervention delivered face-to-face through videoconference.