EMPOWER: A Multi-Site Pilot Trial to Reduce Distress in Surrogate Decision-Makers in the ICU.

Context: Efforts to reduce the psychological distress of surrogate decision-makers of critically ill patients have had limited success, and some have even exacerbated distress.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of EMPOWER (Enhancing and Mobilizing the POtential for Wellness and Resilience), an ultra-brief (∼2-hour), 6-module manualized psychological intervention for surrogates.

Methods: Surrogates who reported significant anxiety and/or an emotionally close relationship with the patient (n=60) were randomized to receive EMPOWER or enhanced usual care (EUC) at one of three metropolitan hospitals.

Grief and Bereavement in the Latino/a Community: A Literature Synthesis and Directions for Future Research.

Introduction: Bereavement and grief are social phenomena influenced by a multitude of cultural factors. Prior studies of bereavement adjustment have primarily focused on bereaved survivors who identify racially as white; knowledge of the experience of grief and bereavement among racial/ethnic and other minority groups, particularly among Latino/a groups, in the United States is limited.

Objective: The purpose of this review is to synthesize the literature documenting the bereavement experiences of the Latino/a community, evaluate the strength of the current evidence, and provide recommendations to guide future research.

Are deaths from COVID-19 associated with higher rates of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) than deaths from other causes?

With the COVID-19 pandemic prompting predictions of a "grief pandemic," rates and risks for Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) warrant further investigation. Data were collected online from 1470 respondents between October 2020 and July 2021. Shorter time since death, deaths of siblings and "others," and deaths from accidents and homicides were positively associated with potential risk of probable PGD; deaths of extended family and from dementia were negatively associated with probable PGD.