To analyze the effects of Dignity Therapy (DT) on the physical, existential, and psychosocial symptoms of individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

This is a mixed-methods case study research that used the concurrent triangulation strategy to analyze the effects of DT on 3 individuals with ALS. Data collection included 3 instances of administering validated scales to assess multiple physical symptoms, anxiety, depression, spiritual well-being, and the Patient Dignity Inventory (PDI), followed by the implementation of DT and a semi-structured interview.

The scale results indicate that DT led to an improvement in the assessment of physical, social, emotional, spiritual, and existential symptoms according to the score results. It is worth noting that the patient with a recent diagnosis showed higher scores for anxiety and depression after DT. Regarding the PDI, the scores indicate improvements in the sense of dignity in all 3 cases, which aligns with the positive verbal reports after the implementation of DT.

This study allowed us to analyze the effects of DT on the physical, existential, and psychosocial symptoms of individuals with ALS, suggesting the potential benefits of this approach for this group of patients. Participants reported positive effects regarding pain and fatigue, could reflect on their life trajectories, and regained their value and meaning.

This study aimed to adapt the meaning-centered psychotherapy (MCP) to treat post-bereavement grief in Japanese bereaved families who lost their loved ones to cancer and to examine the feasibility of the intervention using both quantitative and qualitative methods.

A modified version of MCP was developed with cultural consideration. Bereaved individuals aged ≥18 years who had lost their family members to cancer at least 6 months before and had severe or persistent grief with a score of ≥26 on the Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG-19) were included in the study. The participants received the modified version of MCP, which was provided in a 5-session monthly format. The levels of grief (ICG-19), depression (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale [CES-D]), general health (General Health Questionnaire-12), and post-traumatic growth (Post-traumatic Growth Inventory -Short Form) were compared before and after the intervention.

Five bereaved individuals were enrolled, and all the participants completed the program. The mean scores of the ICG-19. The participants’ sense of regret, guilt, and being separated from the deceased person gradually shifted to the reappraisal of the experience, leading to a broadened view of the relationship with the deceased, and rediscovery of the core values, identity, and roles of the participants through the process of rediscovery of the meaning of life.

A modified version of the MCP was well accepted by Japanese bereaved families. The intervention appears to promote the rediscovery of the meaning of life and appears to have the potential to alleviate the bereaved individuals’ depression and grief-related symptoms and to facilitate their post-traumatic growth.