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Pilot study on traumatic grief treatment program for Japanese women bereaved by violent death
Author(s) -
Asukai Nozomu,
Tsuruta Nobuko,
Saito Azusa
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of traumatic stress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.259
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1573-6598
pISSN - 0894-9867
DOI - 10.1002/jts.20662
Subject(s) - psychoeducation , grief , traumatic grief , complicated grief , psychology , clinical psychology , traumatic stress , psychiatry , posttraumatic stress , psychological intervention
This pilot study aimed to refine a treatment approach for traumatic grief due to violent loss. Our Traumatic Grief Treatment Program, a modification of Shear's complicated grief treatment (Shear et al., 2005), comprises psychoeducation, in vivo exposure, imaginal exposure, discussion of memories about and imaginal conversation with the deceased. Thirteen of 15 Japanese women suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to traumatic grief completed 12 to 16 weekly individual sessions based on their therapists' recommendations. Assessment scales included the Inventory of Complicated Grief, the Impact of Event Scale‐Revised, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. There was significant reduction in symptom severity at treatment end, and symptom levels remained low throughout the 12‐month follow‐up period. Based on Jacobson's Reliable Change Index, 46% showed change on all 3 measures. These findings suggest that our treatment model may be feasible for treating traumatic grief with PTSD in non‐Western settings.