{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,31]],"date-time":"2026-03-31T09:51:11Z","timestamp":1774950671335,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":53,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,29]],"date-time":"2026-03-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1774742400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Behavioral Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with a substantial number of deaths, exposing many individuals to bereavement under particularly adverse circumstances, as public health restrictions often prevented individuals from engaging in customary farewell and mourning practices. In this context, the development of interventions capable of mitigating the psychological impact of grief is of critical importance. This mixed-methods study, with a predominantly qualitative design, aimed to develop and pilot-test a group intervention grounded in cognitive-narrative theory for individuals experiencing bereavement during the COVID-19 pandemic, in Portugal. Four patients aged between 18 and 65 years (M = 49.25; SD = 21.24) participated in the 6-week intervention, between July and August 2022. Quantitative data were collected using the Grief and Meaning Reconstruction Inventory, the Prolonged Grief Assessment Instrument, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, with pre- and post-intervention comparisons. To assess the intervention process, participants completed an individual evaluation form, and a group interview was conducted at the end of the intervention. The results indicated a clinically significant reduction in feelings of emptiness and loss of meaning in most participants, with improved meaning-making related to the loss. The thematic analysis performed on the qualitative data highlighted the strengths of the intervention (e.g., adjustment to grief and sharing) and some areas for improvement (e.g., more regular feedback and group composition). Despite limitations, particularly the small sample size, the findings are promising and support further evaluation of this intervention in larger samples of individuals diagnosed with prolonged grief.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/bs16040516","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,30]],"date-time":"2026-03-30T13:40:52Z","timestamp":1774878052000},"page":"516","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Grieving Process During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Development and Preliminary Findings of a Group Intervention Based on Cognitive-Narrative Theory"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"In\u00eas","family":"Marques","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Human Sciences, Universidade Cat\u00f3lica Portuguesa, 1649-023 Lisboa, Portugal"},{"name":"Lisbon West Local Health Unit, Hospital S\u00e3o Francisco Xavier, 1449-005 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2293-7190","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cristina A.","family":"Godinho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National School of Public Health, Public Health Research Centre, CISP, Comprehensive Health Research Center, CHRC, NOVA University Lisbon, 1600-560 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9101-523X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rita","family":"Francisco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Human Sciences, Universidade Cat\u00f3lica Portuguesa, 1649-023 Lisboa, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"14","article-title":"Homogeneity or heterogeneity of groups","volume":"29","author":"Adler","year":"1995","journal-title":"Canadian Journal of Counselling"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"85","DOI":"10.1017\/S1352465816000345","article-title":"Randomized controlled trial of a cognitive narrative crisis intervention for bereavement in primary healthcare","volume":"45","author":"Andrade","year":"2017","journal-title":"Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"354","DOI":"10.1080\/13607863.2013.833164","article-title":"Randomized controlled trial of a cognitive narrative intervention for complicated grief in widowhood","volume":"18","author":"Barbosa","year":"2014","journal-title":"Aging and Mental Health"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"447","DOI":"10.1097\/00019442-200207000-00011","article-title":"Psychiatric disorders among bereaved persons: The role of perceived circumstances of death and preparedness for death","volume":"10","author":"Barry","year":"2002","journal-title":"American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"277","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-006X.75.2.277","article-title":"Treatment of complicated grief: A comparison between cognitive-behavioral therapy and supportive counseling","volume":"75","author":"Boelen","year":"2007","journal-title":"Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"955","DOI":"10.1002\/cpp.2482","article-title":"Associations of depressive rumination and positive affect regulation with emotional distress after the death of a loved one","volume":"27","author":"Boelen","year":"2020","journal-title":"Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"10","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2021.622850","article-title":"Strategies to cope with the COVID-related deaths among family members","volume":"12","author":"Borghi","year":"2021","journal-title":"Frontiers in Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"77","DOI":"10.1191\/1478088706qp063oa","article-title":"Using thematic analysis in psychology","volume":"3","author":"Braun","year":"2006","journal-title":"Qualitative Research in Psychology"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"125","DOI":"10.5334\/pb-50-1-2-125","article-title":"Positive outcomes following bereavement: Paths to posttraumatic growth","volume":"50","author":"Calhoun","year":"2010","journal-title":"Psychologica Belgica"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1176","DOI":"10.1177\/00302228221090754","article-title":"Grieving during the COVID-19 pandemic: In-person and virtual \u201cgoodbye\u201d","volume":"89","author":"Chen","year":"2022","journal-title":"OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying"},{"key":"ref_11","unstructured":"Christ, G., Bonanno, G., Malkinson, R., and Rubin, S. 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