Efficacy of Complicated Grief Therapy in the Treatment of Prolonged Grief Disorder among Widows from Selected Churches in Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

Complicated grief is a psychological condition characterized by prolonged and functionally impairing grief symptoms that persist for at least one month after six months of bereavement. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of Complicated Grief Therapy (CGT) in the treatment of complicated grief among widows in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study was guided by Bowlby’s Theory of Attachment and Parkes’ Psychosocial Elaborations Theory. A quasi-experimental research design using a quantitative approach was employed to select 122 widows from four churches in Nairobi County, All Saints Cathedral, PCEA St. Andrews, CITAM Valley Road, and Nairobi Baptist Church, forming the experimental and control groups respectively. Data were collected using a researcher-developed socio-demographic questionnaire and standardized instruments, including the Inventory of Complicated Grief, Beck Depression Inventory-II, and the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Findings revealed that the prevalence of complicated grief among the participating widows was 36%. Predictors of complicated grief included being aged 61–70 years, being married for 21–30 years, having been bereaved for 10 years or less, holding a certificate or diploma, and being of lower socio-economic status. Complicated grief was positively correlated with post-traumatic stress disorder (r = .760; p = 0.01), while longer years of marriage were correlated with complicated grief (r = .724; p = 0.01), depression (r = .724; p = 0.01), and PTSD (r = .619; p = 0.01). Results of the independent sample t-test indicated significant mean differences between the experimental and control groups at both midline (M = 7.061; 95% CI: -9.671 to -4.451; p < .001) and end-line (M = -13.126; 95% CI: -15.898 to -10.353; p < .001), confirming the effectiveness of CGT. The study concludes that Complicated Grief Therapy is an effective intervention for reducing symptoms of complicated grief among widows in Nairobi County. It is therefore recommended that mental health practitioners incorporate CGT in grief counselling programs targeting bereaved populations within similar urban and faith-based settings.