Advanced cancer Caregiver grief reaction Anticipatory grief Bereavement guilt Anxiety Depression Caregiver psychological distress Caregivers Grief Adaptation, Psychological Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Palliative Care Terminal Care Neoplasms Anxiety Depression Quality of Life
Conditions
Interventions
The intervention is an 8-session structured grief counseling program based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Four sessions are delivered before the patient'
s death, and four sessions after the death. The control group receives standard routine care without additional counseling.,Usual supportive care, including psychoeducational materials on grief and be
Experimental Behavioral,No Intervention No treatment
Structured Grief Counseling Program,Standard Care Support
Sponsors
The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School (Suzhou Science and Technology City Hospital)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: 1. Primary informal family caregiver (e.g., spouse, adult child) designated by the patient receiving palliative care for advanced cancer. 2. Aged 18 years or older. 3. Able to read, understand, and complete the study questionnaires. 4. Voluntary participation and signed written informed consent.
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: 1. Known severe mental disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe cognitive impairment). 2. Received formal grief-focused psychological intervention or bereavement counseling in the past 12 months. 3. Severe acute psychological crisis or suicide risk requiring immediate intervention. 4. Judged by the investigator to be unsuitable for participation for any other reason (e.g., inability to complete follow-up).
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Grief severity At 3 months after the patient's death (T3) Assessed by the total score of the Anticipatory Grief Scale | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Bereavement-related distress At 3 months after the patient's death (T3) Assessed by the total score of the Bereavement Grief Scale (BGS),Anxiety symptoms At 3 months after the patient's death (T3) Assessed by the Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) score.,Depressive symptoms At 3 months after the patient's death (T3). Assessed by the Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) score.,Post-traumatic growth At 3 months after the patient's death (T3). Assessed by the Post-traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) score.,Quality of life At 3 months after the patient's death (T3). Assessed by the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) scores. | — |
Countries
China
Contacts
Public ContactJia Yu
The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School
Outcome results
None listed