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Writing through grief: could a WhatsApp diary ease trauma for ICU families?

NCT ID NCT07788768

Symptom relief Sponsor: The University of Hong Kong 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 This study
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
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Aug 26, 2026 · Last updated Aug 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial tests whether having family members write a digital diary during and after a loved one's ICU stay can help them cope with grief. Forty family members of ICU patients receiving life-sustaining treatment will be randomly assigned to either write a diary via WhatsApp or receive standard care. The study will check if the diary is practical and acceptable, and whether it reduces symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression at one and three months after the patient's death.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
Family-authored digital ICU diary intervention via WhatsApp
What this could lead to
If this works, it could offer a simple, low-cost way to support grieving families after an ICU death, potentially reducing PTSD, anxiety, and depression.
What could go wrong
This is a small pilot study with only 40 participants, so results may not apply broadly. Writing about a loved one's death could also be emotionally distressing for some.

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.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 40 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Sep 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Aug 2029

An estimate. End dates often move.

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.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

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: * One family member (closest to patient: spouse, grown child, or parent) of adult ICU patients whose treatment is considered life-sustaining * Patient admitted to adult ICU for minimum 48 hours * Patient dies in adult ICU without transfer to other inpatient units * Able to read, write and communicate effectively in Chinese or English Exclusion Criteria: * Currently diagnosed with psychiatric disease and taking psychotropic medication * Currently participating in any psychological intervention * Cognitive impairment

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

anxiety disorder Depression post-traumatic stress disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Bereavement

How to take part

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  1. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  2. A doctor treating you

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