The effect of reminder focused positive psychiatry suicide safety (RFPP-S) on COVID-19 related PTSD with PGD

Objectives: Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) is prevalent and associated with increased psychiatric-comorbidities and suicidality. This study investigates the effect of Brief Reminder-Focused Positive Psychiatry and Suicide-Prevention (RFPP-S) in youth with COVID-19 related PTSD and PGD. Methods: 41 consecutive adolescents (ages 14 ± 4 years, 60% female) with COVID-19 related PTSD and PGD with SI received RFPP-S at the psychiatry-emergency-room (PER). RFPP-S consisted of 10-minute behavioral-modules, in 2 consecutive-days, on self-compassion, engagement, resilience, gratitude for traumatic/loss reminders with emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and safety planning skills. Results: The prevalence of youth PER visits was 61% higher in 2020. That constitutes 40% with COVID-19 related PTSD, with the presence of grief symptoms in over 90%. There was a significant reduction in Columbia suicide severity rate scale (C-SSRS), persistent complex bereavement disorder (PCBD) checklist, and PTSD reaction index in response to RFPP-S. Furthermore, RFPP-S is associated with an increase in wellbeing, resilience, parent-child interaction, school performance, post-discharge follow-up, and no PER visit/psychiatric-hospitalization 4-week after discharge. Conclusions: RFPP-S is associated with reducing PTSD and grief symptoms, acute psychiatric stabilization, parent-child interactions, and favorable outcome in youth with COVID-19 related PTSD and PGD.