BereavementNCT07317622
Effectiveness of a Brief Intervention for Bereaved Individuals
A study testing Facilitating Grief in people with Bereavement, run by Servicio Canario de Salud at 1 site in Spain.
Trial summary
Grief is the response to the death of a loved one. The loss of a loved one requires a grieving process that allows one to adapt to the new situation. The main objective of this study is to identify people in a situation of bereavement who attend nursing consultations in Primary Care on the island of Tenerife, through… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Bereavement
- What is being tested?
- Facilitating Grief
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 100 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSpain
- Study dates
- 14 Oct 2024to 22 Apr 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Be over 18 years old.
- That they answer affirmatively to at least one of the following two questions:
- Have you lost a loved one in the last year? Are you grieving the loss of a loved one?
- After being informed, agree to participate in the study and sign the informed consent.
Who cannot join
- People with language barriers.
- People with cognitive impairment.
- People with severe sensory deficits.
- People with a history of anxiety disorders, diagnosed severe depression, or other problems (emotional, coping, etc.) that prevent them from participating in the collection of information necessary for this study.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Identification and Classification of the Bereaved Population Attending Nursing Consultations in Primary Care; Proposal and Effectiveness of a Brief Intervention
Grief is the response to the death of a loved one. The loss of a loved one requires a grieving process that allows one to adapt to the new situation. The main objective of this study is to identify people in a situation of bereavement who attend nursing consultations in Primary Care on the island of Tenerife, through opportunistic recruitment with the aim of carrying out a brief nursing intervention on those who are classified as being in a situation of bereavement.
Read the detailed description
Grief is a complex and multidimensional process involving an emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and spiritual response to loss. From a nursing perspective, it is recognized as important to address this phenomenon holistically, considering the personal, familial, and sociocultural factors that influence its experience. According to the NANDA-I taxonomy, the diagnoses of maladaptive grief, risk for maladaptive grief, and readiness for enhanced grief fall under the coping/stress tolerance domain, reflecting the need for interventions focused on adaptation and emotional well-being.
In the healthcare setting, the primary care nurse plays a key role as the professional who maintains continuous contact with individuals and their families. The nursing intervention Facilitating Grief (NIC 5290) integrates activities such as active listening, therapeutic communication, reality orientation, music therapy, and the use of personal journals. These strategies promote emotional expression, life reorganization, and personal resilience. The use of standardized instruments (such as the Psychosocial Nursing Diagnoses Questionnaire) allows for the identification of risk factors and the planning of evidence-based care.
The proposed secondary objectives are the following: To detect risk factors that may predispose patients attending nursing consultations to maladaptive grief; To understand the usual management of people in a state of grief and their care needs; To design a brief nursing intervention in Primary Care nursing consultations and evaluate its effectiveness; and To raise awareness among Primary Care professionals about grief, its characteristics and approach, through training activities.
The null hypothesis (H0) of this research establishes that, in the studied population, brief nursing intervention does not produce a significant effect on the effectiveness of nursing care in accompanying grief or in preventing its complications.
- Conditions
- Bereavement
- Being tested
- Facilitating Grief
- Keywords
- bereavement, primary care nursing, community health nursing
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Facilitating GriefOther
This intervention, called "Facilitating Grief," begins with an initial nursing assessment using the Psychosocial Nursing Diagnosis Questionnaire (PSDQ), the Relationship Continuity Scale, and an exploration of manifestations related to the grief situation. This initial assessment lasted between one and three hours, depending on the individual. Subsequently, a personalized care plan was established using standardized language, applying the most appropriate interventions for each person experiencing grief. The intervention also includes follow-up through several subsequent consultations (between two and four), in which the care plan is reviewed and adjusted according to the individual's progress, and a final assessment to evaluate the results achieved.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Participant group | Experimental | Not described Receives: Other: Facilitating Grief |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Number of participants with Clinical manifestations of their grief situation
According to the defining characteristics and risk factors of NANDA-I grief diagnoses
Measured: Pre and post intervention (at 4 or 6 weeks)
Number of participants with Continuity of Bonds internalized or externalized
The Continuity of Bonds Scale is an instrument that explores how the bereaved person continues to relate symbolically and emotionally to the deceased. It consists of 16 questions with two dimensions (internalized, 10 items, and externalized, 6 items). Responses are on a Likert scale from 1 to 4 points (1 = "not at all", 4 = "constantly").
Measured: Pre and post intervention (at 4 or 6 weeks)
Number of participants with Pssychosocial problems
The Psychosocial Nursing Diagnosis Questionnaire (PSDN) is a validated tool. This instrument includes up to 28 psychosocial nursing diagnoses, grouped into six dimensions: health perception/management, behavior/social interaction, emotional/self-perception, caregiver burden, loss/grief, and body image disturbance. It uses Likert-type scales and dichotomous questions to grade responses, assigning different diagnostic labels based on predefined combinations.
Measured: Pre and post intervention (at 4 or 6 weeks)
Number of participants willing to improve their grief
Nursing diagnosis " Readiness for enhanced grief " (Yes/No) and presence/absence of the following defining characteristics: Desire to carry on the deceased's legacy; Desire to engage in previous activities; Desire to enhance grief coping; Desire to enhance forgiveness; Desire to enhance hope; Desire to enhance personal growth; Desire to enhance sleep-wake cycle; Desire to integrate feelings of anger; Desire to integrate feelings of despair; Desire to integrate feelings of guilt; Desire to integrate feelings of remorse; Desire to integrate positive feelings; Desire to integrate positive memories of the deceased; Desire to integrate the possibilities of a happy life; Desire to integrate the possibilities of a meaningful life; Desire to integrate the possibilities of a purposeful life; Desire to integrate the possibilities of a satisfying life; Desire to integrate the loss; Desire to invest energy in new interpersonal relationships.
Measured: Pre and post intervention (at 4 or 6 weeks)
Number of participants with maladaptive grief
Nursing diagnosis " maladaptive grief " (Yes/No) and presence/absence of the following defining characteristics: Anger; Anxiety Decreased performance in life roles; Depressive symptoms; Distress over the deceased; Excessive stress; Feelings of emptiness; Avoidance of grief Non-acceptance of death; Persistent painful memories; Preoccupation with thoughts about the deceased person; Rumination (obsessive ideas) about the deceased person; Searching for the deceased person; Self-blame.
Measured: Pre and post intervention (at 4 or 6 weeks)
Number of participants at risk of maladaptive grief
Nursing diagnosis " risk of maladaptive grief " (Yes/No) and presence/absence of the following defining characteristics: Difficulty dealing with recurrent crises; Excessive emotional disturbance; Inadequate social support; Anxious attachment (in their relationship with others); Avoidant attachment (in their relationship with others).
Measured: Pre and post intervention (at 4 or 6 weeks)
Secondary outcomes (5)
Number of participants with chronic health problems
Dichotomous variables (Yes/No)
Measured: Pre-intervention
Number of participants receiving pharmacological treatment
Dichotomous variables (Yes/No)
Measured: Pre-intervention
Number of caregiver participants
Dichotomous variables (Yes/No)
Measured: Pre-intervention
Time since death
Continuous quantitative variable (days, months, years)
Measured: Pre-intervention
Cause of death
Nominal qualitative variable
Measured: Pre-intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted5 Jan 2026
- Study start14 Oct 2024
- Primary completion22 Feb 2025
- Study completion22 Apr 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for BereavementStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 100 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Servicio Canario de Salud
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07317622
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- CHUC_2024_91
- Status last verified
- Dec 2025
- First submitted
- 19 Dec 2025
- Last updated
- 5 Jan 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 5 Jan 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Identification and Classification of the Bereaved Population Attending Nursing Consultations in Primary Care; Proposal and Effectiveness of a Brief Intervention
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07317622
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- CHUC_2024_91
- Conditions
- Bereavement
- Keywords
- bereavement, primary care nursing, community health nursing
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 100 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Servicio Canario de SaludUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 14 Oct 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 22 Feb 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 22 Apr 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 5 Jan 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Grief is the response to the death of a loved one. The loss of a loved one requires a grieving process that allows one to adapt to the new situation. The main objective of this study is to identify people in a situation of bereavement who attend nursing consultations in Primary Care on the island of Tenerife, through opportunistic recruitment with the aim of carrying out a brief nursing intervention on those who are classified as being in a situation of bereavement.
Detailed description
Grief is a complex and multidimensional process involving an emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and spiritual response to loss. From a nursing perspective, it is recognized as important to address this phenomenon holistically, considering the personal, familial, and sociocultural factors that influence its experience. According to the NANDA-I taxonomy, the diagnoses of maladaptive grief, risk for maladaptive grief, and readiness for enhanced grief fall under the coping/stress tolerance domain, reflecting the need for interventions focused on adaptation and emotional well-being.
In the healthcare setting, the primary care nurse plays a key role as the professional who maintains continuous contact with individuals and their families. The nursing intervention Facilitating Grief (NIC 5290) integrates activities such as active listening, therapeutic communication, reality orientation, music therapy, and the use of personal journals. These strategies promote emotional expression, life reorganization, and personal resilience. The use of standardized instruments (such as the Psychosocial Nursing Diagnoses Questionnaire) allows for the identification of risk factors and the planning of evidence-based care.
The proposed secondary objectives are the following: To detect risk factors that may predispose patients attending nursing consultations to maladaptive grief; To understand the usual management of people in a state of grief and their care needs; To design a brief nursing intervention in Primary Care nursing consultations and evaluate its effectiveness; and To raise awareness among Primary Care professionals about grief, its characteristics and approach, through training activities.
The null hypothesis (H0) of this research establishes that, in the studied population, brief nursing intervention does not produce a significant effect on the effectiveness of nursing care in accompanying grief or in preventing its complications.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Participant group | Experimental | Other: Facilitating Grief |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Be over 18 years old.
- That they answer affirmatively to at least one of the following two questions:
- Have you lost a loved one in the last year? Are you grieving the loss of a loved one?
- After being informed, agree to participate in the study and sign the informed consent.
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- People with language barriers.
- People with cognitive impairment.
- People with severe sensory deficits.
- People with a history of anxiety disorders, diagnosed severe depression, or other problems (emotional, coping, etc.) that prevent them from participating in the collection of information necessary for this study.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Facilitating GriefThis intervention, called "Facilitating Grief," begins with an initial nursing assessment using the Psychosocial Nursing Diagnosis Questionnaire (PSDQ), the Relationship Continuity Scale, and an exploration of manifestations related to the grief situation. This initial assessment lasted between one and three hours, depending on the individual. Subsequently, a personalized care plan was established using standardized language, applying the most appropriate interventions for each person experiencing grief. The intervention also includes follow-up through several subsequent consultations (between two and four), in which the care plan is reviewed and adjusted according to the individual's progress, and a final assessment to evaluate the results achieved. | Other | Participant group |
Primary outcome
Number of participants with Clinical manifestations of their grief situation
Time frame: Pre and post intervention (at 4 or 6 weeks)
According to the defining characteristics and risk factors of NANDA-I grief diagnoses
Number of participants with Continuity of Bonds internalized or externalized
Time frame: Pre and post intervention (at 4 or 6 weeks)
The Continuity of Bonds Scale is an instrument that explores how the bereaved person continues to relate symbolically and emotionally to the deceased. It consists of 16 questions with two dimensions (internalized, 10 items, and externalized, 6 items). Responses are on a Likert scale from 1 to 4 points (1 = "not at all", 4 = "constantly").
Number of participants with Pssychosocial problems
Time frame: Pre and post intervention (at 4 or 6 weeks)
The Psychosocial Nursing Diagnosis Questionnaire (PSDN) is a validated tool. This instrument includes up to 28 psychosocial nursing diagnoses, grouped into six dimensions: health perception/management, behavior/social interaction, emotional/self-perception, caregiver burden, loss/grief, and body image disturbance. It uses Likert-type scales and dichotomous questions to grade responses, assigning different diagnostic labels based on predefined combinations.
Number of participants willing to improve their grief
Time frame: Pre and post intervention (at 4 or 6 weeks)
Nursing diagnosis " Readiness for enhanced grief " (Yes/No) and presence/absence of the following defining characteristics: Desire to carry on the deceased's legacy; Desire to engage in previous activities; Desire to enhance grief coping; Desire to enhance forgiveness; Desire to enhance hope; Desire to enhance personal growth; Desire to enhance sleep-wake cycle; Desire to integrate feelings of anger; Desire to integrate feelings of despair; Desire to integrate feelings of guilt; Desire to integrate feelings of remorse; Desire to integrate positive feelings; Desire to integrate positive memories of the deceased; Desire to integrate the possibilities of a happy life; Desire to integrate the possibilities of a meaningful life; Desire to integrate the possibilities of a purposeful life; Desire to integrate the possibilities of a satisfying life; Desire to integrate the loss; Desire to invest energy in new interpersonal relationships.
Number of participants with maladaptive grief
Time frame: Pre and post intervention (at 4 or 6 weeks)
Nursing diagnosis " maladaptive grief " (Yes/No) and presence/absence of the following defining characteristics: Anger; Anxiety Decreased performance in life roles; Depressive symptoms; Distress over the deceased; Excessive stress; Feelings of emptiness; Avoidance of grief Non-acceptance of death; Persistent painful memories; Preoccupation with thoughts about the deceased person; Rumination (obsessive ideas) about the deceased person; Searching for the deceased person; Self-blame.
Number of participants at risk of maladaptive grief
Time frame: Pre and post intervention (at 4 or 6 weeks)
Nursing diagnosis " risk of maladaptive grief " (Yes/No) and presence/absence of the following defining characteristics: Difficulty dealing with recurrent crises; Excessive emotional disturbance; Inadequate social support; Anxious attachment (in their relationship with others); Avoidant attachment (in their relationship with others).
5 secondary outcomes
Number of participants with chronic health problems
Time frame: Pre-intervention
Number of participants receiving pharmacological treatment
Time frame: Pre-intervention
Number of caregiver participants
Time frame: Pre-intervention
Time since death
Time frame: Pre-intervention
Cause of death
Time frame: Pre-intervention
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 5 Jan 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Facilitating Grief in people with Bereavement, run by Servicio Canario de Salud at 1 site in Spain.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 5 Jan 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Spain. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Number of participants with Clinical manifestations of their grief situation (time frame: Pre and post intervention (at 4 or 6 weeks)). The study lists 6 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 5 Jan 2026.