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NCT Number: NCT07207512

Emotion-Focused Therapy in the Treatment of Prolonged Grief Disorder

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) works to reduce symptoms of Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) in adults. PGD happens when the pain of losing a loved one lasts a long time and causes serious problems in daily life.

* The main questions this study aims to answer are:

1. Does EFT lower grief symptoms in adults with PGD? 2. Does EFT also help with related problems, such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and overall distress? * Who can take part:

Adults (18 years or older) who lost a loved one at least 6 months ago and meet the criteria for PGD.

- What will happen in the study:

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups:

1. EFT group: 8 to 10 weekly, face-to-face therapy sessions with a trained therapist. 2. Self-help group: 10 weekly self-help exercises based on EFT, completed on their own.

* All participants will complete questionnaires on grief, mood, and well-being before starting, during the study, at the end of treatment (12 weeks), and again at 5 months and 12 months after starting. * In the EFT group, the therapeutic relationship will also be measured during sessions 3 and 8. * Why this study is important:

Most current treatments for grief are based on cognitive-behavioral therapy, but not everyone benefits from them. EFT is a promising therapy that focuses on emotions and has shown positive results for other mental health problems. This trial will test if EFT can be an effective treatment for people struggling with prolonged grief.

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Key information

Conditions

Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) Mental Disorders Prolonged Grief Disorder Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Unidad Clínica de Psicología de la Universidad Pontificia Comillas (UNINPSI)

Madrid, 28036, Spain

Location contact

José Gamoneda, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

636894995

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Adults (≥18 years).
  • Undergoing a grief process (including perinatal grief).
  • Meeting diagnostic criteria for Prolonged Grief Disorder (bereavement occurring six months or more prior to the loss; PG-13-R score ≥30).
  • Provision of informed consent.
  • Stable psychopharmacological medication for at least six weeks prior to therapy onset, with physician approval to maintain stability during the intervention.

Exclusion criteria

  • Concurrent psychological treatment
  • Bereavement occurring less than six months prior to the loss
  • Substance abuse
  • Eating disorder
  • Psychosis;
  • Organic brain syndrome
  • Suicide risk
  • Risk of harm to others.

Treatment and study plan

Emotion-Focused Therapy for Grief

Behavioral

The EFT intervention will follow the model described in EFT for grief. Its main goal is to transform core emotional pain (e.g., chronic shame) by activating change-inducing emotions (e.g., assertive anger), a process described as "changing emotion with emotion." This work takes place within a safe and supportive therapeutic relationship, characterized by the therapist's empathic, accepting, and compassionate stance. Therapists remain attuned to emotional markers (e.g., self-criticism, unfinished business) that signal opportunities for targeted work on specific affective problems, which are usually addressed through experiential tasks such as the Empty-Chair for Unfinished Business. Although EFT is transdiagnostic, grief work has certain distinctive features, such as the central role of experiencing grief-related sadness and fostering a sense of connection with the deceased.

Self-help intervention based on EFT

Behavioral

The self-help intervention consists of 10 written exercises designed to address different aspects of grief. These include psychoeducation, emotional regulation, focusing on bodily awareness, softening self-criticism, reducing avoidance, managing anxiety and fear, clarifying confusing emotional reactions, processing trauma, imaginal dialogues with the deceased, and cultivating compassion.

Primary outcomes

  1. Prolonged Grief Scale 13 - Revised

    Time frame: From enrollment to the end of the research at 1 year follow-up

    Higher scores indicate greater symptomatology of Prolonged Grief Disorder; a score of 30 or higher meets the clinical threshold for Prolonged Grief Disorder.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Centrality of Event Scale

    Time frame: From enrollment to the end of the reserch at 1 year follow-up

    Higher scores indicate greater trauma symptomatology

  2. Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation-10

    Time frame: From enrollment to the end of the reserch at 1 year follow-up

    Higher scores indicate greater psychological distress

  3. Patients Health Questionnarie 9

    Time frame: From enrollment to the end of the reserch at 1 year follow-up

    Higher scores indicate greater psychological distress

  4. Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale

    Time frame: From enrollment to the end of the reserch at 1 year follow-up

    Higher scores indicate greater GAD symptomatology

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

José Gamoneda, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

+34636894995

Rafael Jódar, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

91 734 39 50

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Universidad Pontificia Comillas

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Emotion-Focused Therapy in the Treatment of Prolonged Grief Disorder: Study Protocol for a Randomised Controlled Trial

Acronym: EFT-PGD

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2027
First posted
Oct 6, 2025
Registry last updated
Dec 4, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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