My grief app for prolonged grief in bereaved parents: a randomised waitlist-controlled trial

Abstract

A minority of bereaved adults experiences prolonged grief disorder, depression, and/or posttraumatic stress disorder, with heightened risks observed among bereaved parents. Cognitive-behavioural therapies, both face-to-face and online, have demonstrated efficacy in treating post-loss mental health problems. Mobile phone applications potentially offer an efficient and cost-effective way to deliver self-help to bereaved adults, yet controlled effectiveness studies are lacking. Therefore, we examined the short-term efficacy of the My Grief app, based on cognitive-behavioural therapy, in 248 bereaved parents, in a randomised controlled trial (Clinicaltrials.gov, identifier: NCT04552717). Participants were randomly allocated to access to the My Grief app (n = 126) or a waitlist (n = 122). At baseline and post-assessment, symptoms of prolonged grief, posttraumatic stress, and depression, negative grief cognitions, rumination, and avoidance were assessed. Reductions in prolonged grief and posttraumatic stress symptoms and negative cognitions in the intervention group were larger than in the control group, albeit with small effect sizes. Fifteen app users reported negative experiences with the app; for example, some mentioned that it elicited painful memories and emotions related to their loss. My Grief appears to achieve modest improvements in mental health in bereaved parents. Given that it is accessible and low-cost, it is an important addition to the suite of prolonged grief interventions.