Female partners of terminally ill patients DSM-5 Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder 43.8 ICD-11 Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (BC43.5)
Conditions
Interventions
Group 1: Intervention Group – Dignity based therapy for the couple
Female partner receives a pre and post intervention diagnosis and questionnaire, blood tests and an echo cardiogram
saliva samples six times per day on two consecutive days at each pre and post intervention (time point of post intervention is set after death of terminally ill partner)
the intervention entails 3 sessions of 30 - 60 minutes each, followed by two follow-up measurements six and twelve months after the partner’s death
Group 2: Control Group – Relaxation training for te
followed by two follow-up measurements six and twelve months after the partner’s death
Group 3: Healthy control group – healthy couples do not receive an intervention and are measured only cross-sect
Sponsors
Institut für Medizinische Psychologie des Universitätsklinikums Heidelberg
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
Female
Age
21 Years to No maximum
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: Participants are in a relationship; male partners (of participants in IG and CG1) are terminally ill; willingness to be allocated to one of the intervention groups (IG vs. CG1) and to participate in respective intervention; duration of relationship > 2 years, postmenopausal phase
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: For all female participants: chronic, serious physical illness, chronic psychological disorders (especially schizophrenic disorders, acute affective disorders/ bipolar disorders), acute risk of suicide, current substance abuse, addiction diseases. Additionally for control group: Acute depressive symptoms
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Subjective wellbeing, psychological and physical symptoms (SCL-K9, PHQ-9), perceived stress (PSS-10), anxiety and depression (Hamilton Angst- und Depressionsskala), attachment (ECR-R), partnership quality (PBD, PFB) | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Psychobiological characteristics of grief (cortisol and oxytocin levels) | — |
Countries
Germany
Contacts
Public ContactDora Hopf
Institut für Medizinische Psychologie des Universitätsklinikums Heidelberg
Outcome results
None listed