3 - (SYM 49) Development, Acceptability, and Efficacy of a Pilot Group Intervention for Prolonged Grief Disorder Based on the Unified Protocol

 Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) is a prevalent mental health condition (Lundorff et al., 2017). PGD’s inclusion in the DSM-5-TR signals its distinct features compared to other disorders. However, given high rates of comorbidity (Komischke-Konnerup et al., 2021), and common posited etiological factors (Goetter et al., 2019) arguably PGD should be positioned within a broader class of emotional disorders that share commonalities in emotion dysregulation (Spencer-Laitt et al., 2024). Accordingly, transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral interventions focused on understanding and skillfully approaching aversive emotional experiences may be beneficial for individuals with PGD with effects on anxiety, depression, and overall functioning. In this presentation, we describe the development and outcomes of 2, 12-week groups for PGD based on the Unified Protocol for the Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (UP; Barlow et al., 2017) delivered in an outpatient mental health clinic. The UP was adapted to attend to specific PGD-related factors: additional inclusions included psychoeducation on PGD, skills for managing difficult anniversaries, grief monitoring, and illustrative examples covering grief themes. Group 1 was focused on refinement of the intervention and collection of preliminary acceptability data. The group comprised 3 members (100% female, 67% White) with clinically significant PGD based on clinical interview and self-report, and elevated self-reported anxiety, and depression scores. Participants reported very high satisfaction with the treatment (M=31/32, CSQ; Attkisson & Greenfield 1999). Group conflict was low (M= 1.5/7), while engagement was moderately high (5.4/7; Group Climate Questionnaire Mackenzie, 1983). Qualitative feedback informed improvements to the second group, comprised of 3 White females with clinically significant PGD and elevated anxiety and depression. Preliminary results disclosed 5-40% decreases in PGD symptoms (PG13-R; Prigerson et al., 2021), 12% decreases in depressive symptoms (ODSIS; Bentley et al., 2014), as well as 13-28% improvements in emotion regulation (DERS-SF; Kaufman et al., 2016). Variability in improvements in changes in anxiety and overall functioning will be discussed considering specific symptom profiles, alongside feedback from participants in group 2. We will also discuss future directions for interventions targeting PGD and co-occurring conditions.