Determining the Effectiveness of Short-Term Intensive Psychodynamic Therapy on Mourning and Psychological Distress in Bereaved People Recovered from COVID-19

Momeni , Arya; Keshavarzi Arshadi , Farnaz; Kooshki, Shirin; Askarian, Mahnaz

Volume 14 - Articles-1403 MEJDS (2024) 14: 119 | Back to browse issues page

Ethics code: IR.IAU.CTB.REC1400.117

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Momeni A, Keshavarzi Arshadi F, Kooshki S, Askarian M. Determining the Effectiveness of Short-Term Intensive Psychodynamic Therapy on Mourning and Psychological Distress in Bereaved People Recovered from COVID-19. MEJDS 2024; 14 :119-119
URL: http://jdisabilstud.org/article-1-3386-en.html

Determining the Effectiveness of Short-Term Intensive Psychodynamic Therapy on Mourning and Psychological Distress in Bereaved People Recovered from COVID-19

Arya Momeni¹

, Farnaz Keshavarzi Arshadi ^*²

, Shirin Kooshki³

, Mahnaz Askarian⁴

1- PhD Student in Health Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran
2- Associate Professor, Department of Psychology of Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran
3- Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology of Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran
4- Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology of Islamic Azad University, Ashtian Branch, Arak, Iran

Abstract: (759 Views)

Abstract
Background & Objectives: In 2019, during the coronavirus disease epidemic, restrictions on meetings and physical distancing from the patient led to an increase in psychological distress, including grief, among bereaved ones. Meanwhile, many researchers argue that coping with grief in the context of the COVID–19 pandemic might influence the grieving process. Therefore, it is expected that there is a higher risk of mental disorders or increased symptoms of grief and sadness. Such psychological distress affects personal mental and physical well–being and social functioning and places a financial burden on the individual, the healthcare system, and society. Thus, considering that complex grief requires professional treatment and can have many psychological consequences, such as depression, anxiety, and disruption in relationships or at work, it is necessary to treat it in the family members of the deceased. Therefore, this research was conducted to determine the effectiveness of short–term intensive psychodynamic therapy on the grief and psychological distress of people who have recovered from COVID–19.
Methods: This quasi–experimental research employed a pretest–posttest design with a control group. The statistical population of this research consisted of all recovered persons who mourned the disease COVID–19 in Tehran City, Iran, in 2022. Thus, according to the infectious disease specialist, at least 6 weeks had passed since their full recovery, and in addition, they had lost one of their relatives to COVID–19. The sample was selected using the snowball sampling. Finally, 30 people who volunteered to participate in the study were selected and randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. The experimental group received 12–session training (90 minutes per session) of the short–term psychodynamic intensive protocol in 8 weeks. The first 8 sessions were held in 4 weeks (two sessions per week), and the subsequent 4 sessions, one session per week. The control group received no training. Two groups completed the Grief Experience Questionnaire (Barrett & Scott, 1989) and the Short Scale of Psychological Distress (Kessler et al., 2002) at the pretest and posttest. The content validity ratio (CVR) and the content validity index (CVI) were used to test the content validity quantitatively. The CVR results were accepted as 0.40. The CVI index was also calculated and confirmed at 0.49. The pretest and posttest results were entered into SPSS version 26 software for analysis. Descriptive statistics methods (mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage) and univariate analyses of covariance were used to test the research hypotheses.
Results: Most participants were between 20 and 30 years old (43%). In addition, most participants (43%) had a bachelor's degree. The longest duration of illness was one month for the pastor (66%). Regarding the relationship with the deceased, the relationship between father, mother, grandfather and grandmother was the most common (36%). In addition, the age of the deceased was mostly between 20 and 40 (33%). The results of the study show that intensive short–term psychodynamic therapy effectively influences the grief and psychological distress of people who have recovered from COVID–19. In the experimental group, it led to a significant decrease in grief and psychological distress (p<0.001). The effect coefficient of treatment for grief and psychological distress was 0.87 and 0.93, respectively, indicating the effectiveness of short–term intensive psychodynamic therapy on the grief and psychological distress of people who have recovered from COVID–19.
Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that short–term intensive psychodynamic therapy in a group setting is an effective therapy for improving the grief and psychological distress of bereaved people who have recovered from COVID–19.

Keywords: Short–term intensive psychodynamic therapy, Mourning, Psychological distress, COVID–19

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Type of Study: Original Research Article | Subject: Psychology

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