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A simple letter could ease grief for caregivers after a loved One's death

NCT ID NCT02861625

Symptom relief Sponsor: Institut Paoli-Calmettes Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 08, 2026 · Last updated Jul 09, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether sending a condolence letter to family caregivers after a patient's death, along with offering a bereavement consultation with the doctor, helps them cope better. About 432 caregivers will be randomly assigned to receive either the letter and consultation or standard care. The main goal is to see if this approach improves their mental well-being three months after the loss.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Letter of condolence and post-death medical consultation
What this could lead to
If effective, this simple, low-cost approach could become a standard way to support grieving caregivers, potentially reducing prolonged grief and improving quality of life.
What could go wrong
The trial is relatively small and measures subjective outcomes like quality of life, which can vary widely. The intervention may not significantly improve well-being compared to standard practice.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Participants

432 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

May 2018

Finished

Aug 2024

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Who is studied

The study population consisted of the reliable person (a family member and/or caregiver, designed by the patient himself at each hospitalization) of cancer patients who have died in one of the participating center.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Patient died in the institution * Patient for which the reliable person has been identified * Acceptation of the reference physician to send a letter of condolence with the proposed consultation Exclusion Criteria: * The physician already met with the caregiver after the patient's death

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As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Caregivers

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • GRAVIS

    Marseille, France

  • Institut Paoli Calmettes

    Marseille, Bouches Du Rhone, 13009, France

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