An interventional study of EMDR Grief Protocol in Traumatic Grief, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD and Emotional Processing, sponsored by Istanbul Bilgi University. Completed at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-20.
Sponsored by Istanbul Bilgi University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
This pilot randomized controlled study evaluated the effectiveness of the EMDR Grief Protocol in adults who experienced the loss of a loved one in the February 6, 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. A total of 78 adults participated in the study and were randomly assigned to an intervention group or a control group. Participants in the intervention group received three individual sessions of the EMDR Grief Protocol, while the control group received no intervention during the study period. The study evaluated changes in traumatic grief symptoms, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and difficulties in emotional processing before and after the intervention.
This study was designed as a pilot randomized controlled trial with pre-test and post-test assessments. Participants were adults aged 18 to 65 years who experienced the February 6, 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes and lost at least one loved or close person due to the earthquakes.
A total of 78 eligible participants were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n=39) or control group (n=39). The intervention consisted of three 60-minute individual EMDR Grief Protocol sessions. The sessions addressed past memories related to the loss, current triggers and difficulties in daily functioning, and future situations associated with adapting to life following the loss. The control group received no intervention during the study period.
Traumatic grief symptoms, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and emotional processing difficulties were assessed before and after the intervention using the Traumatic Grief Inventory-Self Report (TGI-SR), PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), and Emotional Processing Scale (EPS-25), respectively.
39 studies on the registry are indexed under Prolonged Grief Disorder; 14 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 78 is close to the median of 78 across 35 interventional studies indexed under Prolonged Grief Disorder.
Browse Prolonged Grief Disorder studies →Istanbul Bilgi University is the lead sponsor of 52 studies on the registry; 3 are open to participants now.
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Aged 18 years or older. Experienced the February 6, 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes and lost a loved one.
Literate. No active mental disorder such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. No cognitive impairment, such as severe memory loss, brain damage, or dementia. Had not received EMDR therapy following the earthquake. Voluntarily agreed to participate in the study.
Exclusion Criteria:
Participants received three individual 60-minute sessions of the EMDR Grief Protocol, with one session administered per week.
Behavioral: EMDR Grief Protocol
Participants in the control group received no intervention during the study period.
The EMDR Grief Protocol consisted of three 60-minute individual sessions administered once per week. Session 1 (Past) focused on processing the traumatic moment of death or learning about the death using the standard EMDR protocol based on the Adaptive Information Processing model. Session 2 (Present) focused on current triggers and disruptions in daily functioning. Session 3 (Future) focused on future challenging situations and adaptation to life in the absence of the loved one. All sessions were conducted by a certified EMDR therapist.
Change in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Assessed by the PCL-5
Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms were assessed using the Turkish version of the 20-item PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). Higher scores indicate greater PTSD symptom severity.
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (within 1 week after the final intervention session)
Change in Traumatic Grief Symptoms Assessed by the TGI-SR
Traumatic grief symptoms were assessed using the Turkish version of the 18-item Traumatic Grief Inventory-Self Report (TGI-SR). Higher scores indicate greater severity of grief symptoms.
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (within 1 week after the final intervention session)
Change in Emotional Processing Difficulties Assessed by the EPS-25
Emotional processing difficulties were assessed using the Turkish version of the 25-item Emotional Processing Scale (EPS-25). The scale assesses five dimensions: suppression, signs of unprocessed emotion, unregulated emotions, avoidance, and impoverished emotional experience. Higher total scores indicate greater emotional processing difficulties.
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (within 1 week after the final intervention session)
Plan to share: No — Individual participant data will not be shared due to participant confidentiality and privacy considerations.
This study is completed, as verified in Aug 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Istanbul Bilgi University