Efficacy of Induced After Death Communication Therapy for Grief
A Single-Group Wait-List Controlled Trial
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13628831 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Thomas J Nehmy (0009-0001-4606-948X, The University of Adelaide, corresponding author), John Daniels (0000-0002-7598-4660, IS practice), Paul Williamson (0000-0002-5243-4324, Flinders University), Sarah E Stegall-Rodriguez (The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley), Noelle R St Germain-Sehr (William & Mary) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 302228261418413-302228261418413 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-23 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0030-2228 • E-ISSN: 1541-3764 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/00302228261418413 |
| PMID | 41578177 |
| OpenAlex | W7125591572 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 31 |
Induced After-Death Communication (IADC) therapy, which uses bilateral stimulation derived from EMDR, is an emerging approach to reducing grief symptoms in bereaved individuals. The present study evaluated the IADC protocol, consisting of two 90-min sessions, in 43 bereaved adults with assessments at four time points including a one-month waitlist period to provide control data. Large reductions in grief symptoms were observed from baseline to follow-up (global grief severity d = 1.56; average daily sadness d = 1.33). Two-thirds of participants who exceeded the clinical cutoff score for prolonged grief at baseline scored below this threshold at follow-up. Treatment effects were comparable across delivery methods (in-person vs. online) and were not moderated by time since loss or baseline symptom severity. After-death communications occurred in 79% of participants during therapy and predicted stronger continuing bonds with the deceased. These findings support IADC as an efficient treatment option for bereaved individuals
Clinical trial · Complicated grief · Grief · Randomized controlled trial · Sadness · Treatment and control groups · Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Traumatic Brain Injury Research
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Health outcomes of bereavement
The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (Dass)
The alliance in adult psychotherapy
Prevalence of prolonged grief disorder in adult bereavement
Inventory of complicated grief
A Meta-Analysis of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy for Adult Depression, Alone and in Comparison with other Treatments
The structure of negative emotional states
Consequences of Unexplained Experiences in the Context of Bereavement – Qualitative Analysis
Are Sensory Experiences of One’s Deceased Spouse Associated with Bereavement-Related Distress
Developing a practice-based research agenda for grief and bereavement care
Sense of Presence Experiences and Meaning-Making in Bereavement
Development and Validation of the Hogan Grief Reaction Checklist
Continuing Bonds and Reconstructing Meaning
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |