Feasibility randomised controlled trial of Spring PGD, a digital guided self-help programme for prolonged grief disorder (PGD)

Background:

Prolonged grief disorder happens when someone can't stop thinking about a loved one who has died, and it makes them feel very distressed for at least six months. Every year in Wales, about 18,250 new people experience prolonged grief disorder, but there aren't many good treatments available. One type of therapy called cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) focusing on grief seems to help, but there aren't enough therapists trained in it, and it takes a long time. Using an app or website for therapy, with about three hours of guidance from a health professional, might save time and money. With help from the Welsh Government, we created a guided therapy programme for prolonged grief disorder called Spring PGD, based on input from people who have experienced it. Now, we're getting ready to test it in a clinical trial.

Aim:

We want to know if Spring PGD is likely to help people and if it can be delivered in the NHS. We also want to know if it's easy to use, doesn't cost too much, and if it helps people who haven't been studied as much, like men, older adults, and people from different ethnic backgrounds. What we learn will help us decide if we should do a bigger study later on and how we could go about doing that.

Design:

People will be randomly placed into two groups, one receiving Spring PGD immediately, and the other after 11 weeks. We will ask participants questions before and after treatment and at follow up. We will interview some of the participants and their therapists about their experiences of Spring PGD.

Public Involvement:

Spring PGD was created with input from people who've gone through prolonged grief disorder. Our Public Involvement Lead, also a co-researcher, will lead a Public Advisory Group. The group will ensure we consider underrepresented groups, make participants comfortable, ask relevant questions, and analyse data meaningfully. This group will play an important part in making our treatment better and helping us spread the word about what we find.

Dissemination:

Right from the start, we will work with our Public Advisory Group to make sure people know about prolonged grief disorder and our study. We will use blogs, social media, leaflets, and more. We will let the Public Advisory Group decide how to share our findings with the people in our study and the public. This might include simple reports, pictures, short videos, and events. We will also write research papers, go to conferences, and make a report for policymakers.