A Design for an Outcome and Efficacy Study of Grief Edu-Therapy™

• Main Author: Neary, Gaylene
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: City University of Seattle (CityU) 2013
• Subjects: grief counseling; grief edu-therapy™; First Nations; inuit; Metis
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11803/249

This study is a proposed design for an outcome and efficacy study of Grief Edu-Therapy™, a manualized and commercially available cognitive-behavioural grief therapy intervention. The core methodology of this study is a quantitative design in the form of a quasi-experiment utilizing two data collection tools: the Hogan Grief Reaction Checklist (HGRC) and the Two-Track Model of Bereavement Questionnaire (TTBQ). A literature review examines the history of grief theories and the controversy regarding the effectiveness of grief therapy for the bereaved. Mediators of grief are considered in relation to the current understanding of normal and complicated grief, while exploring the role culture plays in the grieving process. Canadian populations of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis individuals may be among the bereaved at high risk for complicated grief as a consequence of historical and cultural trauma and mediating risk factors. The growing consensus in research indicates that in cases of complicated grief, interventions may be beneficial and necessary for resolution and return to normal functioning following loss. On the basis of this research, it is concluded that should the intervention of Grief Edu-Therapy™ prove to be effective in resolving grief and loss symptoms, it may be a significant intervention for individuals at high risk for complicated grief, and could be implemented in remote communities, or those underserviced by mental health professionals.