Abstract

BATISTA, Jéferson Pereira  and  GADELHA, Maria José Nunes. Process-based Therapy for Complicated Grief in Clinical Practice. Rev. bras.ter. cogn. [online]. 2024, vol.20, e20240502.  Epub Jan 10, 2025. ISSN 1808-5687.  https://doi.org/10.5935/1808-5687.20240502.

Complicated grief (CG) is a complex phenomenon influenced by individual, cultural, and social factors. Due to its diverse nature, transdiagnostic approaches may offer better treatment outcomes. In this context, Process-Based Therapy (PBT) is a transdiagnostic model that guides interventions focused on change processes. Thus, this article aimed to investigate the applicability of the PBT’s heuristic and describe a psychotherapeutic intervention based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for the treatment of CG-related processes. A descriptive and analytical study was conducted in 2022 and involved a 33-year-old woman experiencing CG, with pre-, mid-, and post-intervention assessments. The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-16), the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire-Short Form (WHOQOL-BREF) were used. As a result of the intervention, reductions were observed in DERS-16 scores (“Nonacceptance”, “Strategies”, and “Clarity”) as well as in DASS-21 scores (“Depression” and “Anxiety”). In addition, increases in WHOQOL-BREF scores (“Psychological”, “Social Relationships”, and “Environmental”). This study demonstrates the feasibility and future prospects for applying the PBT’s heuristic in the prevention and treatment of CG-related processes.

Keywords : Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Grief; Emotional regulation..

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