The loss of a loved one is a profound and painful event. For some people, however, the grief remains particularly intense over a long period of time and makes everyday life considerably more difficult. In such cases, a so-called persistent grief disorder may be present. This disorder has recently been included in international classification systems for mental illnesses and can therefore soon be diagnosed by psychotherapists and doctors.

The main symptoms include a persistent, intense longing for the deceased person, a strong mental preoccupation with the loss and pronounced emotional pain. Distressing feelings of guilt and self-blame are also common. "Those affected often feel stuck in their grief," explains Professor Franziska Lechner-Meichsner, Head of the Chair of Clinical Psychological Intervention at the University of Wuppertal. She has been researching the treatment of grief and trauma-related disorders for many years and also works as a psychotherapist.

Psychotherapeutic treatment can help to process the loss in such a way that painful thoughts and feelings can be overcome. The aim is to give the deceased person an appropriate place in the memory and to enable those affected to lead a fulfilling life again.

Focus on new therapeutic approaches

In addition to the already established grief-focused cognitive behavioural therapy, the research team is now investigating another promising method: imagery rescripting. This method is already being used successfully in the treatment of trauma-related disorders and anxiety disorders. "Imagery rescripting focuses on working with stressful memories. Vivid memories have a major influence on our thoughts and feelings - and it is precisely this power of inner images that we utilise in therapy," explains Lechner-Meichsner.

Imagery rescripting is a psychotherapeutic method in which stressful memories are changed using the power of imagination so that they take a more emotionally relieving course. "We have already found that the method leads to memories triggering less painful feelings afterwards," adds Dr Laura Melzer, who works as a psychotherapist on the project.

Who can take part?

The current study focuses in particular on working with memories that are associated with feelings of guilt, self-blame or the feeling of not having done enough for the deceased person. We are looking for people who suffer from such stressful feelings after the death of a loved one. The loss should have occurred at least six months ago. In order to record the success of the treatment in everyday life, the participants also answer short questions daily via smartphone.

Procedure of the study

Interested parties first register by telephone for a detailed preliminary discussion. This is to check whether the study treatment is suitable and to provide detailed information on the procedure.

If suitable, a diagnostic appointment will follow at the premises of the University of Wuppertal in the Rathaus Galerie Wuppertal Elberfeld. As part of the study, participants then receive psychotherapy with six sessions of 100 minutes each. The treatment is covered by health insurance.