An Open Trial of Skills for Psychological Recovery for Sudden Loss Survivors

Abstract

Sudden, unexpected death losses are among the most common traumatic experiences and place survivors at risk for a variety of bereavement-related mental health problems, including posttraumatic stress, depression, and prolonged grief reactions. Although survivors of sudden, unexpected deaths are most likely to seek support for emotional distress in the early aftermath of a loss, no early mental health interventions have specifically been evaluated for this vulnerable population. This study reports findings from an open trial of Skills for Psychological Recovery (SPR)—a brief, evidence-informed early intervention for trauma and bereaved survivors and their families—with a sample of 21 adult sudden loss survivors. Participants within 1 year of the sudden, unexpected death of a loved one received up to five sessions of SPR and completed self-report measures of mental health outcomes pre- and postintervention and again at 3-month follow-up. Results showed statistically significant reductions in posttraumatic stress, depression, and grief symptoms that were maintained at follow-up. A case description is provided to illustrate the use of SPR with this population. These findings suggest that SPR may be an acceptable, scalable early intervention for sudden loss survivors. Limitations, including lack of a comparison group and reliance on self-report measures, are discussed.