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Grief Reactions and Grief Counseling among Bereaved Chinese Individuals during COVID-19 Pandemic: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial Combined with a Longitudinal Study

Author

Listed:
  • Renzhihui Tang

    (Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China)

  • Tong Xie

    (Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China)

  • Keyuan Jiao

    (Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China)

  • Xin Xu

    (Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China)

  • Xinyan Zou

    (Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China)

  • Wenli Qian

    (Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China)

  • Jianping Wang

    (Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China)

Abstract

COVID-19 has caused nearly 4.3 million deaths all around the world. People who have experienced loss during this special period may find it difficult to adapt to life after loss, and may even suffer from prolonged grief disorder or other mental health problems. However, there is a huge gap of grief research in China, with almost no comprehensive grief intervention training system or very few professional grief consultants. Considering the large number of bereaved individuals who are suffering from grief and other mental health problems, it is significant to develop a suitable and effective intervention protocol immediately. This article illustrates a study protocol initiated by a Chinese university to investigate the mental health of bereaved individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic and train grief counselors to provide grief counseling to the bereaved, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of the grief counseling. The method is as follows: (1) 300 psychological counselors will be recruited to attend the grief counseling training. Assessments will be conducted at three time points: baseline (T0), after the basic training (T1), and after the advanced training (T2); (2) 500 bereaved Chinese will be recruit to join the online survey and will be assessed at two time points with a six-month interval; and (3) a two-armed (grief counseling versus wait-list controls) RCT (random control trials) will be conducted with 160 bereaved individuals. Assessments will be conducted at three time points: before randomization (baseline, T0), at the post-counseling (T1), and three months after the post-counseling (T2). Primary outcomes will be assessed by the Prolonged Grief Questionnaire (PG-13), the 20-item PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI). This research will help develop grief research and grief counseling in China, as well as provide professional mental health services for individuals who may suffer from grief-related disorders in the future.

Suggested Citation

  • Renzhihui Tang & Tong Xie & Keyuan Jiao & Xin Xu & Xinyan Zou & Wenli Qian & Jianping Wang, 2021. "Grief Reactions and Grief Counseling among Bereaved Chinese Individuals during COVID-19 Pandemic: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial Combined with a Longitudinal Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-12, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:17:p:9061-:d:623518
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Holly G Prigerson & Mardi J Horowitz & Selby C Jacobs & Colin M Parkes & Mihaela Aslan & Karl Goodkin & Beverley Raphael & Samuel J Marwit & Camille Wortman & Robert A Neimeyer & George Bonanno & Susa, 2009. "Prolonged Grief Disorder: Psychometric Validation of Criteria Proposed for DSM-V and ICD-11," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(8), pages 1-12, August.
    2. Ashton M. Verdery & Emily Smith-Greenaway & Rachel Margolis & Jonathan Daw, 2020. "Tracking the reach of COVID-19 kin loss with a bereavement multiplier applied to the United States," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 117(30), pages 17695-17701, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Annett Lotzin & Alicia Franc de Pommereau & Isabelle Laskowsky, 2023. "Promoting Recovery from Disasters, Pandemics, and Trauma: A Systematic Review of Brief Psychological Interventions to Reduce Distress in Adults, Children, and Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(7), pages 1-48, March.
    2. Krista P. Woodward & Zhiyuan Yu & Wenyi Chen & Tingting Chen & Dylan B. Jackson & Terrinieka W. Powell & Lin Wang, 2023. "Childhood Bereavement, Adverse and Positive Childhood Experiences, and Flourishing among Chinese Young Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-15, March.

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