Confucian-based dual process bereavement group intervention (C-DPBGI) for bereaved survivors of the earthquake

Following the Jishishan earthquake in China, the demand for bereavement support for affected individuals has increased. This study aimed to test the efficacy of a Confucian-adapted, dual process model (DPM)-based group intervention.

A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted. Six sites were randomized to either the experimental group (Confucian-based dual-process bereavement group intervention, C-DPBGI, n = 30) or the control group (Confucian-based loss-oriented bereavement group intervention, C-LOBGI, n = 30). Participants received 12 sessions over 6 weeks. Assessments of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS, measured by Impact of Event Scale-Revised) and general mental health (GHQ-12) were conducted at baseline, postintervention, and 8-week follow-up. Linear mixed models (LMM) were used for intention-to-treat analysis (N = 60).

LMM analyses revealed significant reductions over time in both PTSS and general mental health distress for both groups (p < .001). A significant Time × Group interaction was found for PTSS, F(2, 116) = 5.71, p = .004, indicating a greater reduction in PTSS in the C-DPBGI group compared to the C-LOBGI group, particularly from baseline to postintervention (between-group Cohen's d = 0.64) and baseline to follow-up (between-group Cohen's d = 0.79). No significant Time × Group interaction was found for general mental health, F(2, 116) = 0.31, p = .733, suggesting similar improvement trajectories for both groups on this outcome.

Both Confucian-adapted interventions showed efficacy in improving mental health among earthquake-bereaved individuals. The DPM-based C-DPBGI, incorporating both loss- and restoration-oriented components, demonstrated a significant advantage over the loss-oriented C-LOBGI in reducing PTSS, supporting the utility of the full DPM framework and cultural adaptation in this context. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).