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Efficacy of an online-group intervention after suicide bereavement: A randomized controlled trial

B. Wagner, Raphaela Grafiadeli, Thomas Schäfer, Laura Hofmann

Internet Interventions, 2022

140 participants · 19 citations

Abstract

Introduction People bereaved by suicide are at high-risk for developing mental disorders and suicidal tendencies. Grief after suicide differs from grief after other types of death, and bereaved persons may require support tailored to their situation. In this study, we evaluate an online intervention for individuals bereaved by suicide and its effectiveness on mental health. Methods A total of 140 participants were included in the intervention and randomized to either the treatment or the waitlist control group. The intervention consisted of 12 weekly modules, based on cognitive-behavioral methods, and took place as a webinar in a group format. Primary outcomes were depression and suicidality; secondary outcomes were symptoms of prolonged grief, PTSD, posttraumatic cognitions, hopelessness, and grief-specific symptoms. Results Symptoms of posttraumatic avoidance improved significantly in the intention-to-treat analyses (dbetween = 0.43) and in treatment completers (dbetween = 0.56), posttraumatic intrusion improved in treatment completers (dbetween = 0.50) compared to the waitlist control group. In the intervention group, psychopathological symptoms decreased significantly from baseline to 6-month follow-up. Furthermore, factors such as higher scores of depression, grief, suicide ideation, and posttraumatic stress symptoms were identified at baseline, which impacted the effectiveness of the intervention. Conclusions The results of this study indicate that completing an online…

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Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 140 participants or records.

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