Over recent decades, Emotion-Focused Therapy, aging, and forgiveness have garnered significant attention in the field of psychology. However, there is a lack of studies on Emotion-Focused Therapy and forgiveness specifically tailored for older adults. This article describes a protocol to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a Randomized Controlled Trial of Emotion-Focused Therapy for the resolution of emotional injury in individuals over the age of 65 in the context of interpersonal offenses. The study is structured as a two-arm, parallel-group randomized trial with a waiting list control. We propose recruiting a sample of 70 participants, randomly assigned to either an immediate intervention group, which will receive Emotion-Focused Therapy over twelve weekly sessions, or a control group that will receive the same therapy after a twelve-week waiting period. Data will be collected in the beginning, middle, and at the end of therapy, and in two planned follow-ups (three and six months after therapy). Once this protocol is implemented, if the therapy proves to be feasible, acceptable, and shows promising results, the findings will inform a large-scale randomized clinical trial to advance the understanding of psychotherapy.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
70
This feasibility protocol is a two-arm, parallel, double-blinded, RCT aimed at informing a future trial assessing the effectiveness of EFT in resolving emotional injuries in older adults in the context of interpersonal offenses.
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Enright Forgiveness Inventory-EFI
EFI is a self-report measure designed to measure the level of forgiveness in response to a specific offense. The EFI consists of 60 items divided into three 20-item subscales that assess affect, behavior, and cognition related to forgiveness, using a 6-point Likert scale. Scores range from 60 to 360, with higher scores indicating higher levels of forgiveness.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 12 weeks
Letting Go (assessed through the Letting Go Measure; Greenberg et al., 2008):
The Letting Go is a self-report instrument comprising a single item that evaluates the extent to which individuals have released their negative emotions toward the injurer. Responses are measured on a Likert scale ranging from 1 to 5.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 12 weeks
The Unfinished Business Feelings and Needs Scale (UFB FN-Greenberg et al., 2008;)
The Unfinished Business Feelings and Needs Scale (UFB FN-Greenberg et al., 2008; Singh, 1994) consists of a 6-item scale designed to measure the extent to which an individual who has experienced an unfair situation feels acceptance and empathy toward the person who has harmed them, utilizing a 5-point Likert scale.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 12 weeks
The European Portuguese World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment in Older Adults (WHOQOL-OLD)
The European Portuguese World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment in Older Adults (WHOQOL-OLD) (Power et al., 2005; Vilar et al., 2016) comprises 28 items classified on a five-point scale and encompassing seven domains: sensory, autonomy, activities, social, death, intimacy, and family life (Vilar et al., 2016).
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 12 weeks
The Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15; Matos et al., 2019; Yesavage & Sheikh, 1986)
The Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15; Matos et al., 2019; Yesavage \& Sheikh, 1986) is specifically designed for screening depressive symptoms in older adults. It consists of 15 straightforward questions, each requiring a simple Yes or No response. The scale ranges from zero (indicating no depressive symptoms) to 15 points (representing the highest severity of depressive symptoms), with each affirmative response scored as 1 point. The cut-off points are defined as follows: 0 to 4 for the absence of depressive symptoms, 5 to 8 for mild symptoms, 9 to 11 for moderate symptoms, and 12 to 15 for severe symptoms.
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 12 weeks
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