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ENROLLING BY INVITATION

NCT07318090

F-PGT - Prolonged Grief Treatment for Families Affected by Suicide

Sponsor: University of Pittsburgh

View on ClinicalTrials.gov

Summary

This pilot open trial is being done to better understand the needs of families who have lost a parent to suicide at least a year ago and who have children ages 8-14 and to develop and test Family-Prolonged Grief Treatment (F-PGT), a modification of prolonged grief therapy (PGT) as a way to help these families. PGT has been proven efficacious for adults with prolonged grief. The therapy has been adapted to include work with parents in helping their children (aged 8-14) and to include sessions with the child. All assessment and treatment sessions of the study are being conducted virtually.

Official title: Developing a Family-Focused Treatment for Prolonged Grief for Parental Suicide Bereaved Families With Children

Key Details

Gender

All

Age Range

8 Years - Any

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Enrollment

Start Date

2025-12-17

Completion Date

2026-12-31

Last Updated

2026-03-31

Healthy Volunteers

Conditions

Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD)

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

F-PGT

Family- Prolonged Grief Treatment (F-PGT) is a specialized talk therapy to help families who have lost a parent to suicide. It is based on Prolonged Grief Therapy (PGT) that is efficacious for adults and is now adapted for parents and their children ages 8 to 14. The therapy includes 16 online sessions where a therapist meets with the parent alone, the child alone, or both together. Activities for children are designed to match their age and understanding. The therapy guides families through six steps: understanding and accepting grief, seeing promise in the future, strengthening relationships, sharing the story of the death, living with reminders, and connecting with memories. As a part of the focus on strengthening relationships parents are encouraged to invite a friend or relative to join a session.

Inclusion Criteria: * Parental suicide bereaved children aged 8-14 years and their parents or caregivers. * Child score of 68 or higher on the Inventory for Complicated Grief-Revised for Children (ICG-RC) and/or parent score of 5 or higher on the Brief Grief Questionnaire at phone screen and score of 30 or higher on the Inventory for Complicated Grief (ICG) at baseline. * At least 12 months after death. * Child and/or parent's primary concern is prolonged grief * Child has a biological/adoptive parent or court-appointed guardian who can present paperwork that they are able to consent for research for the youth involved in the study. Child is currently living with this caregiver and has spent most of their time in the past year under their care. * Both child and parent/caregiver have a clinical provider to communicate safety concerns (e.g., primary care provider, pediatrician) * Both child and parent/caregiver live in the United States * If taking psychoactive medications, has been on a stable dose for at least 3 months. Exclusion Criteria: Youth exclusion criteria: * Limited cognitive abilities to assent or to participate in the therapy (e.g., acute mania, psychosis, severe autism spectrum disorder) * Unstable serious medical condition * Current residence is in a state in which none of the study therapists are licensed (i.e., Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon) * Has a substance use disorder (determined by KSADS during the baseline assessment) * Is currently in therapy and unwilling to pause it for the study duration, or begins therapy during the period of study participation * Those with active suicidality (C-SSRS scores of 3 or higher) * Those who report any suicidal behaviors in the past year (i.e., suicide attempt, interrupted attempt, aborted attempt, preparatory behaviors), including any formal crisis management in the past year (e.g., presented at emergency department for suicidality), as assessed at baseline. Parent/Caregiver Exclusion criteria: * Age younger than 18 years old * Limited cognitive abilities to consent (e.g., acute mania, psychosis) * Unstable serious medical condition * For those with active suicidality (C-SSRS scores of 3 or higher), eligibility will be determined by the clinical team and PIs based on prior history of suicidality, access to lethal means, availability social support, reasons for living, and engagement in safety planning. * Those who report any suicidal behaviors in the past year (i.e., suicide attempt, interrupted attempt, aborted attempt, preparatory behaviors), including any formal crisis management in the past year (e.g., presented at emergency department for suicidality), as assessed at baseline. * Is currently in therapy and unwilling to pause it for the study duration, or begins therapy during the study duration * Current residence is in a state in which none of the study therapists are licensed (i.e., Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon) * Has a substance use disorder (determined by SCID during the baseline assessment)

Locations (2)

Columbia University

New York, New York, United States

University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States