Comparing the Effect of Internet-Delivered Interpersonal Psychotherapy and Compassion-Focused Therapy on the Quality of Life and Grief Experience of First-Degree Relatives of the Deceased Due to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic presents an extreme threat to global health and stands as one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Loss, as a broader theme, intertwines with various aspects of people’s lives during these challenging times. Failing to address the urgent needs of individuals experiencing loss and grief can result in poor mental and physical health.

Our study aimed to evaluate the impact of interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) and compassion-focused therapy (CFT) on the grief and quality of life (QoL) of first-degree relatives who lost loved ones due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study was a randomized clinical trial. Participants who had lost a family member to COVID-19 between March 2019 and September 2020 and who visited the hospitals affiliated with Isfahan University of Medical Sciences were selected based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Forty participants were randomly assigned to either IPT or CFT, and each group underwent 6 weekly sessions. The Grief Experience Questionnaires and the World Health Organization’s Quality of Life Questionnaires were administered to all individuals via phone interviews before commencing treatment and 1 month after completing the sessions.

The results indicated a significant improvement in both treatment groups individually (P < 0.001). However, when comparing the 2 groups while adjusting for the pre-test effects, there were no significant differences between them in any of the following areas: Physical response (P2 = 0.45), notoriety (P2 = 0.53), justification and coping (P2 = 0.59), guilt (P2 = 0.31), feelings of abandonment (P2 = 0.52), judgment by others (P2 = 0.78), and embarrassment and shame (P2 = 0.79).

The findings from our study demonstrate that both IPT and CFT resulted in improved QoL and reduced grief experiences. Therefore, these therapeutic approaches can be employed to alleviate grief symptoms and enhance overall QoL.