Examining responses to Prolonged Grief Disorder Therapy-Version 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Research title: Examining Posttraumatic Growth, Self-Compassion and Self-Criticism Levels in People Who Received Prolonged Grief Disorder Therapy
IRAS ID
349378
Contact name
Melis Gun Ertan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Exeter
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 4 months, 31 days
Research summary
Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) affects one in ten people after a loss and is a rising mental health concern. As a recently added diagnosis in the DSM-5-TR, research on effective treatments for PGD is still limited. Shear’s Grief Therapy is the first structured, short-term treatment specifically developed for PGD and has shown promising results in multiple studies.
Additionally, some individuals may experience post-traumatic growth (PTG) after a loss—positive psychological changes such as increased resilience, deeper relationships, and a renewed sense of purpose. While PTG has been widely studied in trauma research, its role in grief recovery remains underexplored. Emerging research also suggests that how people relate to themselves—whether through self-compassion or self-criticism—may influence both the severity of PGD and the success of therapy, but these connections have not yet been directly studied.
This mixed-method study has three aims: to examine whether grief therapy increases self-compassion and PTG while reducing self-criticism; to identify factors that contribute to therapeutic change; to explore the lived experiences of PTG among individuals who have completed grief therapy.
Patients referred to the prolonged grief pathway at Talkworks (NHS Talking Therapies) are invited to participate in the study, which includes a survey and online interview. Eligible patients will be invited by their care team to take part in the study. Participants will read the information sheet before participating and may join the survey if they provide consent. The survey will be completed before and after therapy, including measures of grief, depression, PTG, self-compassion, and self-criticism. Participants who consent to be contacted further will be invited to a one-hour online interview about their experiences of growth after therapy. All data will be analysed, and findings from both the quantitative and qualitative parts will be integrated to better understand the therapy’s impact.REC name
South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/SW/0080
Date of REC Opinion
24 Sep 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion