EMPOWER-cancer-grief: An open trial with bereaved cancer caregivers

Informal cancer caregivers often experience significant psychological distress and risk for Prolonged Grief (PG), yet interventions addressing their bereavement needs remain limited. In Cyprus, no culturally adapted grief‑focused intervention currently exists in Greek. We adapted the EMPOWER-Cancer-Grief intervention to the Cypriot sociocultural setting and present a single-arm, pre-post open feasibility trial implemented with 10 bereaved cancer caregivers who were at risk for PG. The intervention includes cognitive-behavioral, psychoeducation, acceptance-based, and meaning-centred techniques, delivered through weekly individual face-to-face sessions over six weeks. PG, depression, anxiety, resilience, post-traumatic growth, and psychological flexibility, were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, one-and three-month follow-ups. Open-ended questions explored suggestions for improvement. The intervention showed high retention rates (100%) and consistent improvement across all outcomes [PG‑13R: F(3, 27) = 32.94, p < .001; TRIG:F(3, 27) = 25.71, p < .001], with participants recommending extending its duration and incorporating group sessions. These preliminary findings suggest that EMPOWER-Cancer-Grief is a promising culturally adapted intervention for bereaved cancer caregivers.