Post-Traumatic Growth and Optimism as Outcomes of an Internet-Based Intervention for Complicated Grief

Author： Wagner Birgit Knaevelsrud Christine Maercker Andreas

ISSN： 1650-6073

Source： Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Vol.36, Iss.3, 2007-01, pp. : 156-161

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Abstract

This explorative study examines the effects of an internet-based cognitive-behavioural therapy for complicated grief on post-traumatic growth and optimism. The study is part of a larger randomized controlled trial described in Wagner, Knaevelsrud, and Maercker (2006). The patients were randomly assigned to either a treatment group (n = 26) or a waiting list control condition (n = 25). The internet-based intervention consisted of exposure to bereavement cues, cognitive reappraisal exercises, and a module on integration and restoration. A short form of the Post-traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R), and measures of complicated grief and psychopathological outcomes were administered. Results indicate that post-traumatic growth increased in the treatment group. No treatment effect was found for optimism. These findings contribute to the growing literature on personal growth in psychotherapy.