NCT03320902

Sudden Death Counselling and Its Impact on Family Members of Sudden Death Victims

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 625 (actual)
• Sponsor: Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Assessment of the psychological benefit of the proposition by prehospital medical team of a sudden death counselling on family members of sudden death victims.

Detailed description

Family members are often shocked and devastated by the death of their loved one, especially when it is sudden and unexpected. On the scene, families often don't really believe it happened because they didn't have time to absorb the fact of their loss. They hear the words and explanation given by the prehospital emergency medical services (EMS) team, but do not comprehend the full impact. Emotions seem frozen. They feel disoriented, restless, stunned and unable to think. Most often, after cardiac arrest resuscitation attempt, the prehospital EMS team leaves the scene, letting the family without any further medical bond and support. Families are left alone facing this tragedy. After a while, families need medical counseling trying to understand what happens and why but they don't know who to consult. Instead, they remain without medical explanation or guidance with the fear regarding their own future, in particular, regarding the risk of dying from sudden death. This fear may be based on the knowledge of the eventuality of familial diseases increasing the risk of sudden death, or simply on a mechanism of identification with the deceased. One important factor credited by experts is to encourage first-degree family members to seek sudden death counselling. However, the literature concerning this problem lacks of reliable data. The aim of this clinical trial is to evaluate the psychological consequences of a sudden death counselling on family member after a relative's sudden death compared to the usual family management. This study will compare the percentage of depression in a group of family members after a relative's sudden death for whom a sudden death counselling has been proposed by the prehospital medical team versus a group for whom the medical team has not modified its usual strategy.

Conditions

• Sudden Death

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Sudden death counselling	The Sudden Death Counselling with included relatives at 1 month (+/-15 days) after the eventafter the event will be at the Europeen Georges Pompidou hospital in Paris. The purpose of this Sudden Death Counselling is to provide to family members of sudden death victims information, support, referral and follow-up services relating to sudden death and their grief, if needed. The bereaved people will tell their experience. The Sudden Death Counselling would help them to integrate life's losses by companioning them. Cardiologist and psychologists will be present to listen to their pain and try to bring comfort by answering to their questionings.

Timeline

• Start date: 2018-01-18
• Primary completion: 2023-11-13
• Completion: 2024-03-25
• First posted: 2017-10-25
• Last updated: 2025-11-20

Locations

1 site across 1 country: France