Modified Complicated Grief Therapy in Treatment of Complicated Grief among Orphaned Children in Selected Public Primary Schools in Siaya County, Kenya

Abstract

This quasi-experimental study tested the efficacy of a Modified Complicated Grief Therapy (MCGT) in treating complicated grief (CG) among orphaned children in selected public primary schools in Siaya County. The study had 241 participants comprising orphaned children aged 10-15 years. The participants were grouped into treatment and control groups, and only the treatment group received 12 weeks of the MCGT intervention. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the participants’ grief prevalence and sociodemographic characteristics. Pearson correlation coefficient (p) and linear regression helped to determine the risk factors associated with CG, while t-tests were used to assess the efficacy of the MCGT intervention. The prevalence of grief among the participants was 66%. Over half of the participants were paternal orphans (56.5%), most had lost their parents through sickness (74.2%), and almost half had also lost a sibling (48.9%). The number of siblings, separation from siblings, and perceived level of closeness to deceased mother (prior to her death) showed significant association with CG. In contrast, age, gender, perceived level of closeness to deceased father (before his death), and cultural factors did not show significant association with CG. The MCGT was effective in the reduction of CG symptoms with an average total reduction of 16.75 points in the 12 weeks, and a weekly average reduction of 1.29 scores. The study recommends that MCGT be included as a component in all programs targeting orphaned and vulnerable children, be adopted as a school-based grief program, and be used in capacity building for guidance and counseling teachers and practicing therapists.