View clinical trials related to Bereavement.
Filter by:The primary objective of this pilot project is to evaluate the efficacy of Cymbalta for bereavement-associated depression. Participating patients will be treated with Cymbalta in doses up to 60mg daily for eight (8) weeks. The primary outcome measure for this study will be the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD-17). In pursuit of this objective, we will test the following hypothesis: After eight weeks of open-label treatment with Cymbalta for bereavement-associated depression, at least half of the participants will achieve remission, as measured by a score of 7 or less on the HRSD-17. Secondary objectives of this project are: - To determine the tolerability of Cymbalta treatment among patients with bereavement-associated depression (as measured by adverse events and the proportion of participants who discontinue Cymbalta before completing eight weeks of study treatment); - To determine the effect of Cymbalta treatment on grief in patients with bereavement-associated depression (as measured by the Texas Revised Inventory of Grief and the Inventory of Complicated Grief after eight weeks of treatment compared to baseline); and - To determine the effect of Cymbalta treatment on health status, pain, and other co-morbid symptoms in patients with bereavement-associated depression (as measured by the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System and the Medical Outcomes Study 12-item Short Form Health Survey administered at Weeks 2, 4, and 8 and compared to baseline).
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of "Primary Bereavement Care" (PBC) -a standardized bereavement intervention- delivered by family physicians (FP), in widows.
This study uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to look at brain activity while patients view pictures of people's faces that they are familiar with or have emotional attachment to. The functional MRI (fMRI) procedure allows researchers to "see the brain at work." It uses the same powerful magnetic fields and weak electromagnetic radiation (radiowaves) as standard structural MRI. However, functional MRI can also show areas of increased blood flow, which relates to increased activity by brain cells. This research study builds on previous studies that identified specific areas of the brain that are activated by visual stimuli showing faces. However, previous research used anonymous faces as stimuli. This study will use faces of individuals known to the patient. There are three experiments that will be conducted in the study; 1. Experiment 1 will attempt to determine the effects of familiarity of the photographed face on brain activity patterns. Patients will view familiar faces, the faces of close friends and relatives, and the faces of famous people. 2. Experiment 2 will look at how maternal attachment affects the response to visual stimuli. Mothers will view pictures of their first born child, as well as those of familiar children to whom they are not related, unfamiliar children, and unfamiliar adults. 3. Experiment 3 will explore the effects of interpersonal attachment and loss on response to visual stimuli. In this experiment, bereaved spouses will view pictures of their deceased spouse, those of living family members, and those of unfamiliar people.
Bereavement refers to the expected reactions and sadness associated with the loss of a loved one. It has been reported that the loss of a spouse is rated as the major life stressor among survivors of varying ages and diverse cultural backgrounds. Statistics have shown that in the United States over 800,000 men and women lose a spouse each year. A wide range of symptoms has been associated with bereavement including; depressed mood, tearfulness, sleep disturbances, and irrational behavior. Previous studies have shown that up to 50% of bereaved individuals can develop major depression. Bereavement has also been associated with dysfunction of the immune system. As a result, bereaved adults are more vulnerable to infection. However, the exact relationship between bereavement and immunity is uncertain. Researchers firmly believe that a relationship does exist between stress, more specifically bereavement, immunity, and the increased chance of dying following the loss of a long-term spouse. The objective of this study is to find possible links between bereavement, depression, and the immune system. This study will follow a group of elderly bereaved spouses and a group of elderly people who have not lost a long-term spouse. The group of bereaved individuals will be followed for approximately 13 months after the loss of their spouse and the group of controls will be followed for 13 months after entering the study. Researchers will make note of any clinical, biological, and immunological changes in any participants of the study.