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Effects of the Integrated Grief Therapy on Psychological Resilience, Post-Traumatic Growth, Traumatic Stress, and Grief Processes in Earthquake Survivors

NCT07641270 · Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 190

Last updated 2026-06-11

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This study evaluates the effectiveness of an Integrated Grief Therapy (IGT) group program for adults affected by the February 6, 2023 earthquake in Türkiye. Many earthquake survivors experience psychological difficulties such as traumatic stress, grief, and reduced resilience after losing loved ones, homes, and a sense of safety. This study aims to determine whether a structured group-based therapy program can help improve psychological well-being and reduce distress.

A total of 190 adult participants who experienced the earthquake were included in the study. Participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a waitlist control group. The experimental group participated in an 8-session Integrated Grief Therapy program delivered face-to-face by trained mental health professionals. The program included psychoeducation about grief, emotional expression, cognitive and behavioral coping strategies, and activities designed to support meaning-making and adaptation after loss. The control group continued to receive routine psychosocial support services available in the community but did not participate in the structured therapy during the study period.

All participants completed standardized psychological assessments before and after the intervention. These assessments measured psychological resilience, post-traumatic growth, grief-related difficulties, and traumatic stress symptoms.

The study aims to determine whether participants who receive the Integrated Grief Therapy program show greater improvements in resilience and post-traumatic growth, and greater reductions in traumatic stress and grief symptoms, compared to those who do not receive the intervention during the same period.

The findings from this study may help inform the development of effective, scalable mental health interventions for individuals affected by large-scale disasters.

Conditions

  • Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Grief (Traumatic Grief and Existential Grief)
  • Bereavement

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Integrated Grief Therapy (IGT)

Integrated Grief Therapy (IGT) is a structured, 8-session group intervention developed to support individuals coping with loss after a disaster. The program integrates elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy, humanistic approaches, and grief-focused techniques. It includes psychoeducation about grief, identification and restructuring of maladaptive thoughts, emotional expression, interpersonal sharing, and meaning-making activities such as memory exercises and completion letters. The intervention aims to enhance psychological resilience, promote post-traumatic growth, and reduce traumatic stress and grief symptoms.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Sakarya University

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
45 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2024-04-12
Primary Completion
2026-08-01
Completion
2026-09-30

Countries

  • Turkey (Türkiye)

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07641270 on ClinicalTrials.gov