Accelerated Resolution Therapy for Early Maladaptive Grief Study Protocol.

UNLABELLED

The objective of this manuscript is to present the protocol of a study aiming to test the effects of Accelerated Resolution Therapy® (ART) on pre-loss grief and prolonged grief among older adult family caregivers. This study also aims to better understand predictors of response to ART®, and cognitive processes that occur among grieving individuals following ART®.

DESIGN

The study is a double-blinded, randomized clinical trial.

SETTING

This study takes place at both inpatient and outpatient palliative care and hospice programs at two Mayo Clinic sites.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants include older adult ( 60 years) immediate family members who are primary caregivers of someone with an advanced illness and life expectancy of less than 12 months.

INTERVENTION

Participants are randomized to either the ART® intervention group or the attention control group. In the ART® intervention, caregivers engage in imaginal exposure, lateral eye movements, and imagery rescripting via 4 sessions lasting 1-1.5 hours each. The attention control group receives a standard social work intervention, including education, resources, and active listening, which is matched for time and attention. Both interventions will longitudinally follow caregivers from active caregiving into bereavement.

OUTCOMES MEASURED

The primary outcomes of pre-loss grief and prolonged grief will be measured with the Pre-Loss Grief 12 item (PG-12-R) before the care recipient's death, and with the Prolonged Grief-13 (PG-13-R) afterwards.