1
|
Redican E, Hyland P, Shevlin M, Martsenkovskyi D, Karatzias T, Ben-Ezra M. Prevalence and correlates of ICD-11 prolonged grief disorder among adults living in Ukraine during the war with Russia. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2024; 149:425-435. [PMID: 38491862 DOI: 10.1111/acps.13678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although high rates of bereavement are evident in war-affected populations, no study has investigated the prevalence and correlates of probable ICD-11 prolonged grief disorder (PGD) under these circumstances. METHODS Participants were 2050 adults who participated in a nationwide survey exploring the effects of the Ukraine-Russia war on the daily lives and mental health of Ukrainian people. RESULTS Of the total sample, 87.7% (n = 1797) of people indicated a lifetime bereavement. In the full sample, 11.4% met the diagnostic requirements for probable ICD-11 PGD, and amongst those with a lifetime bereavement, the conditional rate of probable ICD-11 PGD was 13.0%. Significant risk factors of ICD-11 PGD included the recent loss of a loved one (6 months to a year ago), being most affected by a partner or spouse's death, loved one dying in the war, no recent contact with the deceased prior to their death, and meeting depression and anxiety diagnostic requirements. CONCLUSION The study reveals that a significant percentage of Ukrainian bereaved individuals have probable ICD-11 PGD, and identifying risk factors, particularly war-related losses, will aid in the development of intervention and prevention programs for bereaved adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Enya Redican
- School of Psychology, Ulster University, Coleraine, UK
| | - Philip Hyland
- Department of Psychology, Maynooth University, Kildare, Ireland
| | - Mark Shevlin
- School of Psychology, Ulster University, Coleraine, UK
| | - Dmytro Martsenkovskyi
- Department of Psychiatry and Narcology, Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine
- SI "Institute of Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatric Examination and Drug Monitoring of Ministry of Health of Ukraine", Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Thanos Karatzias
- School of Health & Social Care, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Sadino JM, Donaldson ZR. Prairie voles as a model for adaptive reward remodeling following loss of a bonded partner. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2024. [PMID: 38594916 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Loss of a loved one is a painful event that substantially elevates the risk for physical and mental illness and impaired daily function. Socially monogamous prairie voles are laboratory-amenable rodents that form life-long pair bonds and exhibit distress upon partner separation, mirroring phenotypes seen in humans. These attributes make voles an excellent model for studying the biology of loss. In this review, we highlight parallels between humans and prairie voles, focusing on reward system engagement during pair bonding and loss. As yearning is a unique feature that differentiates loss from other negative mental states, we posit a model in which the homeostatic reward mechanisms that help to maintain bonds are disrupted upon loss, resulting in yearning and other negative impacts. Finally, we synthesize studies in humans and voles that delineate the remodeling of reward systems during loss adaptation. The stalling of these processes likely contributes to prolonged grief disorder, a diagnosis recently added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Psychiatry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julie M Sadino
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Zoe R Donaldson
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Treml J, Linde K, Brähler E, Kersting A. Prolonged grief disorder in ICD-11 and DSM-5-TR: differences in prevalence and diagnostic criteria. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1266132. [PMID: 38389981 PMCID: PMC10881750 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1266132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) was recently included as a disorder in the ICD-11 and DSM-5-TR. Although both classification systems use the same name, the criteria content, and diagnostic approach vary. This study aimed to estimate the respective prevalence of PGDICD-11 and PGDDSM-5-TR and examine the diagnostic agreement while varying the diagnostic algorithm of PGDICD-11 (bereavement vs. symptom period; varying number of accessory symptoms). Methods A representative sample of the German general population (N = 2,509) was investigated, of which n=1,071 reported the loss of a close person. PGD symptoms were assessed with the Traumatic Grief Inventory - Self Report Plus (TGI-SR+). Results The point prevalence of PGD among the bereaved varied between 4.7%-6.8%, depending on the criteria and diagnostic algorithm. The prevalence of PGDDSM-5-TR was significantly lower than the prevalence of PGDICD-11. The diagnostic agreement between both criteria sets was substantial and increased after the number of accessory symptoms for PGDICD-11 was increased from one to three. The most common symptoms were intrusive thoughts/images related to the deceased person, longing for the deceased person, and difficulty accepting the loss. Conclusion The results demonstrate that the prevalence of PGD significantly varies depending on the application of the diagnostic algorithm and criteria. PGD affects a substantial proportion of the general population and should be addressed by healthcare providers. However, applying the minimum ICD-11 criteria could lead overestimating the prevalence. Therefore, further harmonizing the ICD-11 and DSM-5-TR criteria and diagnostic algorithm for PGD seems appropriate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julia Treml
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Katja Linde
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Elmar Brähler
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anette Kersting
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lapenskie J, Anderson K, Lawlor PG, Kabir M, Noel C, Heidinger B, Parsons HA, Cohen L, Gratton V, Besserer E, Adeli S, Murphy R, Warmels G, Bruni A, Bhimji K, Dyason C, Enright P, Desjardins I, Wooller K, Arsenault-Mehta K, Webber C, Bedard D, Iyengar A, Bush SH, Isenberg SR, Tanuseputro P, Vanderspank-Wright B, Downar J. Long-term bereavement outcomes in family members of those who died in acute care hospitals before and during the first wave of COVID-19: A cohort study. Palliat Med 2024; 38:264-271. [PMID: 38229211 PMCID: PMC10865760 DOI: 10.1177/02692163231223394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Severe grief is highly distressing and prevalent up to 1 year post-death among people bereaved during the first wave of COVID-19, but no study has assessed changes in grief severity beyond this timeframe. AIM Understand the trajectory of grief during the pandemic by reassessing grief symptoms in our original cohort 12-18 months post-death. DESIGN Prospective matched cohort study. SETTINGS/PARTICIPANTS Family members of decedents who died in an acute care hospital between November 1, 2019 and August 31, 2020 in Ottawa, Canada. Family members of patients who died of COVID (COVID +ve) were matched 2:1 with those who died of non-COVID illness (COVID -ve) during pandemic wave 1 or immediately prior to its onset (pre-COVID). Grief was assessed using the Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG). RESULTS Follow-up assessment was completed by 92% (111/121) of family members in the initial cohort. Mean ICG score on the 12-18-month assessment was 19.9 (SD = 11.8), and severe grief (ICG > 25) was present in 28.8% of participants. One-third (33.3%) had either a persistently high (>25) or worsening ICG score (⩾4-point increase between assessments). Using a modified Poisson regression analysis, persistently high or worsening ICG scores were associated with endotracheal intubation in the deceased, but not cause of death (COVID +ve, COVID -ve, pre-COVID) or physical presence of the family member in the final 48 h of life. CONCLUSIONS Severe grief is a substantial source of psychological morbidity in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, persisting more than a year post-death. Our findings highlight an acute need for effective and scalable means of addressing severe grief.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julie Lapenskie
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Koby Anderson
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Peter G. Lawlor
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Bruyère Continuing Care, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Monisha Kabir
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Chelsea Noel
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Brandon Heidinger
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Henrique A. Parsons
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Leila Cohen
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Valérie Gratton
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Samantha Adeli
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Rebekah Murphy
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Bruyère Continuing Care, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Queensway-Carleton Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Grace Warmels
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Queensway-Carleton Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Adrianna Bruni
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Queensway-Carleton Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Khadija Bhimji
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Queensway-Carleton Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Claire Dyason
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Paula Enright
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Isabelle Desjardins
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Krista Wooller
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Colleen Webber
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | | | - Shirley H Bush
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Bruyère Continuing Care, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Sarina R Isenberg
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Peter Tanuseputro
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Bruyère Continuing Care, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Institut du Savoir Montfort, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Brandi Vanderspank-Wright
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- School of Nursing, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - James Downar
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Bruyère Continuing Care, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Queensland University of Technology School of Law, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Elinger G, Hasson-Ohayon I, Bar-Shachar Y, Peri T. A quasi-experimental trial of narrative reconstruction for prolonged grief disorder: Symptomatic improvement and enhanced memory integration. J Clin Psychol 2023; 79:2849-2868. [PMID: 37590286 DOI: 10.1002/jclp.23583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) was recently approved as a formal diagnosis in the DSM-5-TR. The implementation of bereavement interventions is frequently requested, but their effectiveness has been controversial. Narrative reconstruction (NR) is a time-limited integrative therapy, originally developed for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and adapted for the treatment of PGD. NR consists of exposure to the loss memory, a detailed written reconstruction of the loss memory narrative, and an elaboration of the personal significance of that memory for the bereaved. OBJECTIVES In this study we evaluated the efficacy of NR for PGD. METHOD In this study, 33 participants with PGD were quasi-randomized-that is, assigned to an immediate (n = 20) or delayed (n = 13) 16-session NR intervention. PGD, intrusion, avoidance and depression symptoms, as well as levels of the loss memory integration, were assessed at pretreatment, post-treatment, and at a 3-month follow-up. RESULTS Mixed linear models showed significant intervention effects for PGD and intrusive symptomatology. Results also showed an increase in integration of the loss memory, and improvements remained stable for all outcomes at follow-up. CONCLUSION In this study we established NR as an effective intervention for PGD and call for further validation in future studies. Integrating this intervention into the routine care of people with PGD seems important and beneficial.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gali Elinger
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | | | - Yael Bar-Shachar
- Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Tuvia Peri
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Ennis N, Pastrana FA, Moreland AD, Davies F, delMas S, Rheingold A. Assessment Tools for Children who Experience Traumatic Loss: A Systematic Review. Trauma Violence Abuse 2023; 24:3205-3219. [PMID: 36314510 DOI: 10.1177/15248380221127256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Children who experience the traumatic (i.e., violent and/or unexpected) death of a loved one are at risk for a range of adverse developmental and mental health problems, including pathological processes of grief. Over the last decades, conceptualizations of maladaptive grief have varied, resulting in a range of assessment tools and no "gold standard" measure to assess symptoms of prolonged grief in children. The current paper is a systematic review of studies that measured grief in children who experienced traumatic loss in order to determine the measures currently used in the literature with children who experience traumatic loss. Searches were conducted according to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses in PUBMED, PsycINFO, and OVID and through hand searches of relevant reference lists. Two authors reviewed each study yielded by searches and conducted data extraction on included studies. Studies were included if they were peer-reviewed, included a measure of grief, and consisted of samples of children (age 18 and younger) whereby at least a portion experienced traumatic loss. Thirty-nine studies met inclusion criteria, from which 17 measures were identified. The most commonly used measure was the Inventory of Complicated Grief (n = 10 studies) followed by the Extended Grief Inventory (n = 6). Most studies used different measures and variations of the same measures to assess similar constructs. All but one measure relied on child self-report. More standardization of measurement across studies is needed, along with parent and/or teacher reported measures.
Collapse
|
7
|
Sarkar S, Gupta P, Sahu A, Anwar N, Sharan P. A qualitative phenomenological exploration of prolonged grief in New Delhi, India. Transcult Psychiatry 2023; 60:929-941. [PMID: 37993997 DOI: 10.1177/13634615231213838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) is a condition characterized by difficulty in coping effectively with the loss of loved ones. The proposed diagnostic criteria for PGD have been based predominantly on research from developed Western nations. The cultural variations associated with experience and expression of grief and associated mourning rituals have not been considered comprehensively. The current study aimed to understand the experience of prolonged grief in India through a qualitative enquiry with mental health professionals (focus group discussions) and affected individuals (key informant interviews). Several novel findings diverging from the current understanding of manifestation and narratives of PGD emerged from the study, including differences in the social contexts of bereavement and culture-specific magico-religious beliefs and idioms of distress. The findings point to limitations of existing diagnostic systems for PGD. The results of this study suggest that the assumption of content equivalence for psychiatric disorders across cultures may not be justified and that there is a need to develop culturally sensitive diagnostic criteria and assessment scales for PGD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Siddharth Sarkar
- National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Prashant Gupta
- Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Anamika Sahu
- Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Nazneen Anwar
- World Health Organization - South East Asia Regional Office, New Delhi, India
| | - Pratap Sharan
- Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Wen FH, Hsieh CH, Shen WC, Hou MM, Su PJ, Chou WC, Chen JS, Chang WC, Tang ST. Associations Between Surrogates' Decisional Regret Trajectories and Bereavement Outcomes. J Natl Compr Canc Netw 2023; 21:1141-1148.e2. [PMID: 37935096 DOI: 10.6004/jnccn.2023.7053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Family surrogates experience heterogeneous decisional regret and negative long-lasting postdecision impacts. Cross-sectional findings on the associations between decisional regret and surrogates' bereavement outcomes are conflicting and cannot illustrate the directional and dynamic evolution of these associations. In this study, we sought to longitudinally examine the associations between 4 previously identified decisional-regret trajectories and bereavement outcomes among family surrogates of terminally ill patients with cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS This prospective, longitudinal, observational study included 377 family surrogates. Decisional regret was measured using the 5-item Decision Regret Scale, and 4 decisional regret trajectories were identified: resilient, delayed-recovery, late-emerging, and increasing-prolonged. Associations between bereavement outcomes (depressive symptoms, prolonged grief symptoms, and physical and mental health-related quality of life [HRQoL]) and decisional-regret trajectories were examined simultaneously by multivariate hierarchical linear modeling using the resilient trajectory as a reference. RESULTS Surrogates in the delayed-recovery, late-emerging, and increasing-prolonged trajectories experienced significantly higher symptoms of prolonged grief (β [95% CI], 1.815 [0.782 to 2.848]; 2.312 [0.834 to 3.790]; and 7.806 [2.681 to 12.931], respectively) and poorer physical HRQoL (-1.615 [-2.844 to -0.386]; -1.634 [-3.226 to -0.042]; and -4.749 [-9.380 to -0.118], respectively) compared with those in the resilient trajectory. Membership in the late-emerging and increasing-prolonged trajectories was associated with higher symptoms of depression (β [95% CI], 2.942 [1.045 to 4.839] and 8.766 [2.864 to 14.668], respectively), whereas only surrogates in the increasing-prolonged decisional-regret trajectory reported significantly worse mental HRQoL (-4.823 [-8.216 to -1.430]) than those in the resilient trajectory. CONCLUSIONS Surrogates who experienced delayed-recovery, unresolved, or late-emerging decisional regret may carry ceaseless doubt, guilt, or self-blame for patient suffering, leading to profound symptoms of prolonged grief, depressive symptoms, and worse HRQoL over their first 2 bereavement years.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fur-Hsing Wen
- Department of International Business, Soochow University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Chia-Hsun Hsieh
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, New Taipei Municipal TuCheng Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Wen-Chi Shen
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Ming-Mo Hou
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Po-Jung Su
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Wen-Chi Chou
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Jen-Shi Chen
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Wen-Cheng Chang
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Siew Tzuh Tang
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
- School of Nursing, Medical College, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
- Department of Nursing, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Republic of China
- Department of Nursing, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Lenferink LIM, van Dijk I, Eisma MC, Eklund R, Boelen PA, Sveen J. Psychometric evaluation of the Swedish Traumatic Grief Inventory Self-Report Plus (TGI-SR+) in bereaved parents. Clin Psychol Psychother 2023. [PMID: 37872000 DOI: 10.1002/cpp.2922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
The International Classification of Diseases Eleventh Edition (ICD-11), and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR), now include prolonged grief disorder (PGD). Since criteria for PGD in both classification systems differ from prior proposed grief disorders and each other, the validation of a single instrument to screen for prolonged grief (PG) symptoms of both new diagnoses is critical for bereavement research and care. Therefore, we evaluated the psychometric properties of the Swedish version of the Traumatic Grief Inventory Self-Report Plus (TGI-SR+). Two-hundred and forty-eight bereaved parents completed questions about sociodemographic and loss-related variables, the TGI-SR+, and symptom measures of post-traumatic stress (PTS), depression and an older measure of PG symptoms, the Prolonged Grief Disorder-13 (PG-13). Confirmatory factor analyses showed that a one-factor model best fit DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 PG symptoms and the analyses of the internal consistency and inter-item correlations showed that these symptoms could be reliably assessed. In support of convergent validity, DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 PG symptoms correlated with symptoms of PTS, depression and PG assessed with the PG-13. In support of known-groups validity, DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 PG symptoms were higher among lower educated (vs. higher educated) participants and related negatively to time since loss. ROC analyses showed optimal cut-off score of ≥71 and ≥72 to determine probable caseness for DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 PGD, respectively. Results support the reliability and validity of the Swedish TGI-SR+ as a screening instrument for PG in research and bereavement care.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lonneke I M Lenferink
- Department of Psychology, Health & Technology, Faculty of Behavioural Management and Social Sciences, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Iris van Dijk
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Maarten C Eisma
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Rakel Eklund
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Paul A Boelen
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre, Diemen, The Netherlands
| | - Josefin Sveen
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
- Centre for Crisis Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Ennis N, Bottomley J, Sawyer J, Moreland AD, Rheingold AA. Measuring Grief in the Context of Traumatic Loss: A Systematic Review of Assessment Instruments. Trauma Violence Abuse 2023; 24:2346-2362. [PMID: 35616367 PMCID: PMC9699905 DOI: 10.1177/15248380221093694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Following traumatic loss, defined as the death of a loved one due to unexpected or violent circumstances, adults may experience a myriad of grief-related problems. Given the addition of Prolonged Grief Disorders into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders Fifth Edition, Text-Revision and influx of unexpected deaths due to the global Coronavirus pandemic, there is heightened interest in the measurement of grief-related processes. We conducted a systematic review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to identify measures of grief used in studies of adults who experienced traumatic loss. Searches yielded 164 studies that used 31 unique measures of grief-related constructs. The most commonly used instrument was the Inventory of Complicated Grief-Revised. Half of the measures assessed constructs beyond diagnosable pathological grief responses. Given the wide variation and adaptations of measures reviewed, we recommend greater testing and uniformity of measurement across the field. Future research is needed to adapt and/or design measures to evaluate new criteria for Prolonged Grief Disorder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Naomi Ennis
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Jamison Bottomley
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | | | - Angela D. Moreland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Alyssa A. Rheingold
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Hennemann S, Killikelly C, Hyland P, Maercker A, Witthöft M. Somatic symptom distress and ICD-11 prolonged grief in a large intercultural sample. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2023; 14:2254584. [PMID: 37767693 PMCID: PMC10540649 DOI: 10.1080/20008066.2023.2254584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Grief is a multi-faceted experience including emotional, social, and physical reactions. Research in ICD-11 prolonged grief disorder (PGD) in different cultural contexts has revealed different or potentially missing grief symptoms that may be relevant.Objective: This study thus aimed to explore the prevalence of somatic symptom distress and its associations with grief and negative affect in a culturally diverse sample of bereaved individuals with symptoms of PGD.Methods: Based on cross-sectional survey data from the Measurement and Assessment of Grief (MAGIC) project, this study included 1337 participants (mean age 23.79 yrs, 76.1% female) from three regions (USA: 62.3%, Turkey/Iran: 24.2%, Cyprus/Greece: 13.5%), who experienced a loss of a significant other. Associations between somatic symptom distress (Somatic Symptom Scale, SSS-8), symptoms of PGD (International Prolonged Grief Disorder Scale, IPGDS-33), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire, GAD-7), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire, PHQ-9) as well as demographic and loss related characteristics were investigated. Three hundred and thirteen participants (23.4%) scored above the proposed cut-off for clinically severe PGD.Results: 'High' or 'very high' levels of somatic symptom distress were more frequent in a possible PGD group (58.2%), than in a non-PGD group (22.4%), p < .001, as divided per cut-off in the IPGDS. In a multiple regression analysis, PGD symptoms were significantly but weakly associated with somatic symptom distress (β = 0.08, p < .001) beyond demographics, loss-related variables, and negative affect. Negative affect (anxiety and depression) mediated the relationship of PGD symptoms with somatic symptom distress and the indirect effect explained 58% of the variance.Conclusions: High levels of somatic symptom distress can be observed in a substantial proportion of bereaved across cultures. Our findings suggest that PGD is related to somatic symptom distress partly and indirectly through facets of negative affect.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Severin Hennemann
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy and Experimental Psychopathology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Clare Killikelly
- Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Philip Hyland
- Department of Psychology, Maynooth University, Kildare, Ireland
| | - Andreas Maercker
- Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Witthöft
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy and Experimental Psychopathology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Eberle DJ, Maercker A. Stress-associated symptoms and disorders: A transdiagnostic comparison. Clin Psychol Psychother 2023; 30:1047-1057. [PMID: 37092756 DOI: 10.1002/cpp.2858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
The ICD-11 features a new group of disorders specifically associated with stress, which are interlinked by various symptoms, such as intrusive memory symptoms. Although research interest in these new ICD-11 diagnoses is growing rapidly, so far, no studies have systematically investigated the transdiagnostic distribution of stress-associated symptoms in these disorders. In the present study, 447 individuals completed a series of online questionnaires, which measured various stress-associated symptoms, e.g., flashbacks, preoccupation or yearning. Findings showed that the majority of correlations between the measured psychopathological constructs was between 0.30 and 0.60. Furthermore, with regard to specific diagnostic groups, a complex variation of stress-associated symptoms was observed, with preoccupation as a predominant symptom in all disorders. Results demonstrate that stress-associated symptoms are inherently interconnected yet possess an individual variation in different disorders. Furthermore, findings illustrate that preoccupation represents a major feature in all stress-associated disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David J Eberle
- Division of Psychopathology and Clinical Intervention, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Maercker
- Division of Psychopathology and Clinical Intervention, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Smid GE, Comtesse H, Killikelly C, Wagner B. Editorial: Community series in grief disorders: clinical, cultural, and epidemiological aspects, volume II. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1259161. [PMID: 37645638 PMCID: PMC10461759 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1259161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Geert E. Smid
- ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre, Diemen, Netherlands
- University of Humanistic Studies, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Hannah Comtesse
- Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Eichstätt, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Clare Killikelly
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Yousefi S, Ashouri A. The Role of Emotion Regulation Difficulties and Intrusive and Deliberate Rumination in the Association Between Insecure Attachment and Prolonged Grief. Omega (Westport) 2023:302228231189539. [PMID: 37439023 DOI: 10.1177/00302228231189539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the role of emotion regulation difficulties and intrusive/deliberate rumination in the relationship between insecure attachment and prolonged grief symptoms. A total sample of 342 bereaved participants was included in the study. Both anxious and avoidant attachment styles were found to be associated with prolonged grief symptoms, with an avoidant attachment showing a stronger effect. Emotion regulation difficulties and rumination mediated the relationships between attachment styles and prolonged grief symptoms, supporting the proposed mediation model. The study identified specific mediating pathways for anxious and avoidant attachment styles. Additionally, female gender, higher age, unexpected death, and closeness of the relationship with the deceased were significant predictors of prolonged grief symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shahab Yousefi
- Student Research Committee, School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health (Tehran Institute of Psychiatry), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health (Tehran Institute of Psychiatry), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ahmad Ashouri
- Student Research Committee, School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health (Tehran Institute of Psychiatry), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health (Tehran Institute of Psychiatry), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Yıldırım YE. Prevalence of Prolonged Grief Disorder and Related Clinical Factors Among Turkish Psychiatric Outpatients During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Omega (Westport) 2023:302228231187296. [PMID: 37386898 PMCID: PMC10315512 DOI: 10.1177/00302228231187296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Prolonged grief disorder (PGD), a new diagnosis in some classification systems, has gained prominence due to the high mortality rates observed during the Covid-19 pandemic. Herein, the prevalence of PGD (diagnosed with structured clinical interviews), death-related features, and associated clinical factors were investigated among outpatient psychiatric patients who lost a first-degree relative within the past 12-24 months. PGD was diagnosed in 30/68 patients (44.1%). PGD development did not differ based on cause of death (Covid-19-related vs. other causes) but was associated with higher age of the bereaved, younger age of the deceased, and degree of kinship. Higher rates of depression, insomnia, and anxious attachment were also observed in PGD patients. Finally, the unexpectedness of death predicted the development of PGD. Due to the high prevalence of PGD among psychiatric patients, clinicians should be aware of the disorder, monitor grief processes in high-risk patients, and consider PGD in treatment planning.
Collapse
|
16
|
Hilberdink CE, Ghainder K, Dubanchet A, Hinton D, Djelantik AAAMJ, Hall BJ, Bui E. Bereavement issues and prolonged grief disorder: A global perspective. Glob Ment Health (Camb) 2023; 10:e32. [PMID: 37854407 PMCID: PMC10579660 DOI: 10.1017/gmh.2023.28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The death of a loved one - bereavement - is a universal experience that marks the human mental health condition. Grief - the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses to bereavement - is thus experienced by virtually everyone at some point in life, while mourning is a process through which grievers come to terms with the loss envisioning life without the deceased. Although distress subsides over time among most bereaved individuals, a minority will develop a condition recently identified as prolonged grief disorder (PGD). The present review provides a global perspective on bereavement, grief reactions, and PGD. Although the loss of a loved one and grief reactions are in general experienced consistently across different cultures, differences and variations in their expression may exist across cultures. Especially within specific populations that may be more at risk for PGD, possibly due to risk factors associated with the mechanisms of loss (e.g., refugees, migrants, and conflict survivors). The diagnostic criteria for PGD are mostly based on Western grieving populations, and cultural adaptations of PGD treatments are limited. Therefore, cross-cultural development and validation of PGD screening/assessment is critical to support future research on grief reactions and PGD, especially in non-Western contexts, and concerning the potential future global changes and challenges that appear to have a major impact on PGD. More transcultural research on PGD is needed to contextualize and will lead to culture-bound symptom identification of PGD, and the adaptation of current treatment protocols, which may ultimately improve health at the individual level, and health-care systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte E. Hilberdink
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, INSERM, U1237, PhIND “Physiopathology and Imaging of Neurological Disorders”, NEUROPRESAGE Team, (Institut Blood and Brain @ Caen-Normandie), GIP Cyceron, Caen, France
| | - Kevin Ghainder
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Caen Normandie, Caen, France
| | | | - Devon Hinton
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Brian J. Hall
- Center for Global Health Equity, New York University, Shanghai, 200122 People’s Republic of China
| | - Eric Bui
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, INSERM, U1237, PhIND “Physiopathology and Imaging of Neurological Disorders”, NEUROPRESAGE Team, (Institut Blood and Brain @ Caen-Normandie), GIP Cyceron, Caen, France
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Caen Normandie, Caen, France
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Kobak K, Shear MK, Skritskaya NA, Bloom C, Bottex G. A Web-Based Therapist Training Tutorial on Prolonged Grief Disorder Therapy: Pre-Post Assessment Study. JMIR Med Educ 2023; 9:e44246. [PMID: 36972105 PMCID: PMC10131787 DOI: 10.2196/44246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) is a newly recognized mental disorder characterized by pervasive intense grief that persists longer than cultural or social expectations and interferes with functioning. The COVID-19 epidemic has resulted in increased rates of PGD, and few clinicians feel confident in treating this condition. PGD therapy (PGDT) is a simple, short-term, and evidence-based treatment developed in tandem with the validation of the PGD diagnosis. To facilitate the dissemination of PGDT training, we developed a web-based therapist tutorial that includes didactic training on PGDT concepts and principles as well as web-based multimedia patient scenarios and examples of clinical implementation of PGDT. OBJECTIVE We aimed to evaluate user satisfaction with the tutorial and whether the tutorial increased trainees' knowledge of PGDT principles and procedures. Moreover, we included a small number of pilot questions to evaluate the PGDT-related clinical skills. METHODS This study evaluated tutorial learning using a pre- and poststudy design. Participants were recruited from professional organization mailing lists, announcements to graduates of the Columbia School of Social Work, and through word of mouth. After signing consent, participants completed a brief demographic survey, a 55-item multiple-choice prestudy test on the concepts and principles of PGD and PGDT covered in the tutorial, and a 4-item pilot web-based prestudy test to gauge PGD clinical implementation skills. The link to the course content was then activated, and participants were given 8 weeks to complete the 11-module tutorial containing information, web-based exercises, simulated patient and video examples, and self-tests. RESULTS Overall, 406 clinicians signed consent, and 236 (58.1%) started the tutorial. Of these, 83.1% (196/236) completed all 11 modules. Trainee scores on our PDGT assessment improved substantially from pretraining to the postmodule assessment, with the total number of correct answers increasing from a mean of 29 (SD 5.5; 52.7% correct) to 36.7 (SD 5.2; 66.7% correct; t195=18.93; P<.001). In addition, the trainee's implementation scores on 4 clinical vignettes increased from 2.6 (SD 0.7) correct out of 4 to 3.1 (SD 0.4) out of 4 (t188=7.02; P<.001). Effect sizes (Cohen d) were 1.44 (95% CI 1.23-1.65) for PDGT assessment and 1.06 (95% CI 0.84-1.29) for implementation. Trainees found the tutorial interesting, enjoyable, clearly presented, and useful for professional development. They endorsed a mean score of 3.7 (SD 0.47) on a 1 to 4 scale of agreement with recommending the course to others and feeling satisfied with the tutorial, and a mean of 3.3 (SD 0.57) with feeling able to apply the skills with clients. CONCLUSIONS This pilot study provides support for the usefulness of this web-based training for teaching clinicians how to administer PGDT. The addition of patient scenarios for clinical implementation strategies holds promise for increasing the effectiveness of PGDT training and other evidence-based treatments. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05121792; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05121792.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Kobak
- Center for Telepsychology, Madison, WI, United States
| | - M Katherine Shear
- Columbia University School of Social Work, New York, NY, United States
| | | | - Colleen Bloom
- Columbia University School of Social Work, New York, NY, United States
| | - Gaelle Bottex
- Columbia University School of Social Work, New York, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Ashouri A, Yousefi S. Validation of the Persian Traumatic Grief Inventory- Self Report Plus (TGI-SR+) to Assess Prolonged Grief Severity. Omega (Westport) 2023:302228231162730. [PMID: 36916138 DOI: 10.1177/00302228231162730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
Abstract
The Traumatic Grief Inventory-Self Report Plus (TGI-SR+) is a self-report measure to assess Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) in terms of ICD-11 and DSM-5-TR. Till now this measure has shown to yield good psychometric properties in Dutch and French speaking bereaved people. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Persian TGI-SR+. 461 individuals (280 women) fully completed the scales. The participants were recruited using convenience sampling. The Confirmatory factor analysis and concurrent validity, and reliability of the Persian version of the TGI-SR+ were evaluated. Confirmatory factor analysis results of a two-dimensional model support the construct validity of this version of the TGI-SR+, while concurrent validity was shown with significant correlations between the TGI-SR+ and measures of depression, anxiety, and ptsd. These results indicate satisfactory psychometric properties of the instrument, thus supporting the use of the TGI-SR + as a valid measure of PGD in bereaved Iranian adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Ashouri
- Mental Health Research Center, School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health (Tehran Institute of Psychiatry), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shahab Yousefi
- Mental Health Research Center, School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health (Tehran Institute of Psychiatry), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Chambers JE. From Mourning and Melancholia to Neurobiology in an Era of Global Warming, Pandemic Disease, and Social Chasms: Grief as a Requisite for Change. Psychodyn Psychiatry 2023; 51:45-62. [PMID: 36867183 DOI: 10.1521/pdps.2023.51.1.45] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
We find ourselves in a unique time in history with the confluence of a pandemic, global warming, and social chasms felt throughout the world. In this article, it is suggested that the grieving process is necessary for progress. The article addresses grief from a psychodynamic lens and progresses through the neurobiological changes that occur in the grieving process. The article discusses grief as both a result of and a necessary response to COVID-19, global warming, and social unrest. It is argued that grief is a vital process in order to fully change as a society and move forward. The role of psychiatry, and specifically psychodynamic psychiatry, is integral in paving the way to this new understanding and a new future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joanna E Chambers
- Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology, Indiana University School of Medicine
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Hanauer C, Telaar B, Al-Dawaf N, Rosner R, Doering BK. 'Feeling disconnected' - risk factors for PGD and themes in grief counselling during the COVID-19 pandemic. A mixed-method study. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2023; 14:2183006. [PMID: 36912798 PMCID: PMC10013402 DOI: 10.1080/20008066.2023.2183006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Due to its high death toll and measures to curb the pandemic, COVID-19 has affected grieving experiences and may contribute to risk factors for Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD). Persons at risk for PGD often seek support from grief counselling.Objective: To explore whether pandemic-associated risk factors have become more important topics in counselling in a mixed-method design.Method: German grief counsellors (n = 93) rated whether pre-defined risk factors had become more important in grief counselling and indicated additional important themes in an open format.Results: The counsellors indicated that all pre-defined risk factors had become more important, though differing significantly in their frequency. Most frequently endorsed risk factors were lack of social support, limited possibilities to accompany a dying loved one and absence of traditional grief rituals. Qualitative analysis identified three additional themes: the societal impact of the pandemic, its impact on bereavement support and health care, and a chance for personal growth.Conclusions: The pandemic has affected bereavement experiences and grief counselling. Counsellors should monitor grief processes and specific risk factors to provide the best possible care for bereaved people when needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christina Hanauer
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University Eichstaett-Ingolstadt, Eichstaett, Germany
| | - Berit Telaar
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University Eichstaett-Ingolstadt, Eichstaett, Germany
| | - Nadja Al-Dawaf
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University Eichstaett-Ingolstadt, Eichstaett, Germany
| | - Rita Rosner
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University Eichstaett-Ingolstadt, Eichstaett, Germany
| | - Bettina K Doering
- Clinical Psychology, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Neuruppin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Bryant RA, Azevedo S, Yadav S, Keyan D, Rawson N, Dawson K, Tockar J, Garber B, Hadzi-Pavlovic D. Habituation of distress during exposure and its relationship to treatment outcome in post-traumatic stress disorder and prolonged grief disorder. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2023; 14:2193525. [PMID: 37042354 PMCID: PMC10101669 DOI: 10.1080/20008066.2023.2193525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Reliving distressing memories is a core component of treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and prolonged grief disorder (PGD). There is little understanding of how reliving these memories functions in the treatment of these disorders.Objective: This study investigated whether reliving functions comparably in the treatment of PTSD and PGD, and whether it is comparably related to treatment outcome.Method: This study conducted a reanalysis of patients with either PTSD (n = 55) or PGD (n = 45) who underwent treatments that comprised at least four sessions of reliving memories of either their traumatic experience or the loss of the deceased person.Results: PTSD participants displayed greater habituation of distress across sessions during reliving than PGD participants. Between-session reduction in distress during reliving was associated with symptom remission in PTSD, but this pattern was not observed in PGD.Conclusion: This pattern of findings indicates that although reliving appears to be a useful strategy for treating both PTSD and PGD, this strategy does not function comparably in the two conditions and may involve distinct mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard A Bryant
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Suzanna Azevedo
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Srishti Yadav
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Dharani Keyan
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Natasha Rawson
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Katie Dawson
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Julia Tockar
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Benjamin Garber
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Kaiser J, Treml J, Hoffmann R, Linde K, Nagl M, Kersting A. Factors Associated With Treatment Response in an Internet-Based Intervention for Prolonged Grief Disorder After Cancer Bereavement. Behav Ther 2023; 54:119-31. [PMID: 36608969 DOI: 10.1016/j.beth.2022.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Internet-based psychological interventions have proven effective in the treatment of prolonged grief disorder (PGD). Yet, some patients do not benefit from treatment in a clinically significant way. We aimed to examine predictors of symptom reduction in an Internet-based intervention for PGD after cancer bereavement, in order to identify possible treatment mechanisms and discern directions for future intervention design. A secondary analysis of data from a randomized wait-list controlled trial on an Internet-based intervention for PGD after cancer bereavement was conducted. Multiple regression models were used (1) to test for the influence of pretreatment PGD, working alliance, avoidance and gender on PGD symptom reduction; and (2) to explore further predictors of treatment success with a best subset selection protocol. The regression models explained 18% (Model 1) and 34% (Model 2) of variance in symptom reduction. Participants with more favorable symptom change had more severe pretreatment PGD scores and better working alliance. Those with lower social support and less posttraumatic growth experienced more PGD symptom change. In conclusion, therapeutic alliance is an important factor that should be monitored and fostered. Findings regarding social support and posttraumatic growth need further replication and clarification.
Collapse
|
23
|
Maercker A, Eberle DJ. Disorders Specifically Associated With Stress in ICD-11. Clin Psychol Eur 2022; 4:e9711. [PMID: 36760318 DOI: 10.32872/cpe.9711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background After almost three decades of ICD-10 use for diagnostic purposes, the World Health Organization has conducted a systematic and elaborate evaluation to revise the classification of mental disorders in this system. This revision resulted in the 11th version (ICD-11), introduced in 2022. As one new feature, the ICD-11 forms a new grouping of mental disorders specifically associated with stress. Method The current review presents an overview of the diagnostic features and cultural specifications of disorders specifically associated with stress. This grouping includes posttraumatic stress disorder and complex posttraumatic stress disorder, prolonged grief disorder, adjustment disorder, as well as two diagnoses for children, reactive attachment disorder and disinhibited social engagement disorder. Results Overall, there is evidence for the improved clinical utility and applicability of these disorders. The disorders have been defined in a parsimonious way by few features, but they suffice for scientific purposes as well. Conclusion However, more research is needed to evaluate assessments for the diagnoses and diagnostic features in the ICD-11.
Collapse
|
24
|
Abstract
BACKGROUND The loss of a sibling can have a long-term impact on the mental and physical health of the surviving sibling throughout adolescence and later adulthood. Even though bereaved siblings can be identified as a high-risk group, evidence-based interventions for this bereavement group are still missing. AIM To evaluate the treatment effects of an internet-based writing intervention for bereaved siblings aged 16-65 years. DESIGN A two-armed randomized controlled trial (DRKS00011514) compared the intervention to a waiting list control group. The 6-week intervention consisted of six structured writing assignments that were based on cognitive behavioral therapy, focusing on the specific situation of bereaved siblings. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS Eighty-six bereaved siblings (loss >1 month ago, no severe psychiatric symptoms) were randomly allocated to the intervention group (n = 47) or the waiting list control group (n = 39). Primary outcomes were symptoms of prolonged grief disorder and depression; secondary outcomes were posttraumatic stress symptoms and survivor guilt. RESULTS Symptoms of depression and prolonged grief disorder improved significantly in the intention-to-treat analyses from pre-to post-measurement compared with the control group (gDepression = -0.62, gGrief = 0.33). In the intervention group, all primary and secondary outcomes decreased significantly from baseline to 12-month follow-up (gs = -0.38 to -1.04). A significant clinical change could be found for depression (34%) compared to the waitlist control group (10%). CONCLUSIONS Bereaved siblings profited from this brief internet-based writing intervention in the short- and long-term. However, future research, such as dismantling studies, may help to further optimize the benefits of an intervention aimed at bereaved siblings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Wagner
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Laura Hofmann
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulrike Maaß
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute for Psychology, Potsdam University, Potsdam, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Bove DG, Herling SF, Sørensen N, Gjersøe P, Timm H. A qualitative study of the experiences of relatives to brought in dead persons in an emergency department. J Adv Nurs 2022; 78:4165-4176. [PMID: 35976705 PMCID: PMC9804706 DOI: 10.1111/jan.15384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
AIMS The aim was to explore the experiences of relatives seeing and saying goodbye to brought in dead persons in a Danish emergency department. DESIGN This was a qualitative study based on interpretive description methodology. METHODS Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews with relatives (n = 11) of brought in dead persons and 30 h of participatory observations of these relatives visiting the emergency department to see and say goodbye to the deceased. Data were collected between February 2019 and December 2020. RESULTS Our analyses revealed internal and external chaos as an overarching theme, covering 4 themes and 10 subthemes. The four themes were traumatic events, restricted access, briefly being together again, and final goodbyes and departures. CONCLUSION Emergency departments were highly acute and busy settings that prioritized survival more than the care of deceased people and their relatives. The relatives were, in every way, affected by internal and external chaos; the external chaos in the emergency department reinforced the feeling of internal chaos. It is necessary for managers and nurses in emergency departments to organize and practice care for relatives, whilst bringing in deceased individuals in a less chaotic and more caring manner. IMPACT This study contributes to the knowledge of relatives' experiences regarding brought in dead persons, underpinning the need to care for this subpopulation in emergency departments. Care for relatives of brought in dead individuals has the potential to relieve suffering and prevent diseases, which are core elements of nursing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dorthe Gaby Bove
- Department of ResearchCopenhagen University HospitalHillerødDenmark,Centre for NursingUniversity College AbsalonRoskildeDenmark
| | | | - Nanna Sørensen
- The Emergency DepartmentCopenhagen University Hospital, NordsjællandHillerodDenmark
| | - Peter Gjersøe
- The Emergency DepartmentCopenhagen University Hospital, NordsjællandHillerodDenmark
| | - Helle Timm
- The University Hospitals Centre for Health Research, RigshospitaletKobenhavnDenmark,National Institute of Public HealthUniversity of Southern DenmarkOdenseDenmark,University of Faroe IslandsTorshavnDenmark
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Mondal S. Living in a Limbo: A Sociological Study of Missing
Funerals, Death Rituals, and Complicated Grief in COVID-19. Illness, Crisis & Loss 2022. [PMCID: PMC9551671 DOI: 10.1177/10541373221131760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in India, due to strict lockdown,
the family members of the victims of COVID-19 had to witness the dying and death
of their relatives in solitude, improper funerals, and the absence of death
rituals. After in-depth interviews with twelve relatives of seven deceased
patients conducted more than a year after experiencing those deaths of loved
ones, it was found that most of them had been struggling with long-term
complicated grief without a sense of resolution. As funerals and death rituals,
following the work of Van Gennep in his ‘Rites of Passage’, ensure the
transition of grievers from a preliminal state by preparing for the imminent
loss to a postliminal renovated stable state by reabsorbing them into the
collective social and cultural conditions, the absence of that compels the
mourners to get stuck in a liminal state, or limbo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Souvik Mondal
- Department of Sociology, Presidency
University, Kolkata, India,Souvik Mondal, Department of Sociology,
Presidency University, Kolkata, India.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Yuan MD, Wang ZQ, Fei L, Zhong BL. Prevalence of prolonged grief disorder and its symptoms in Chinese parents who lost their only child: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Public Health 2022; 10:1016160. [PMID: 36238241 PMCID: PMC9550932 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1016160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Parents who lost their only child and cannot have a second child ("Shidu") have been a large population in China. Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) in Shidu parents is of clinical and public health concern but the reported PGD prevalence varies widely. To facilitate the planning of grief counseling services, this meta-analysis estimated prevalence of PGD and its symptoms and identified subgroups at elevated risk for PGD. Methods We searched English and Chinese literature databases to identify cross-sectional surveys reporting prevalence of PGD or PGD symptoms in Chinese Shidu parents. The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Studies Reporting Prevalence Data ("JBI") was used to assess risk of bias of included studies. Results Seven studies with a total of 2,794 Shidu parents were included and their JBI scores ranged from five to eight. The pooled prevalence of PGD and PGD symptoms was 20.9% and 75.0%, respectively. Greater risk of PGD was observed in mothers [vs. fathers, OR (odds ratio) = 1.89, P = 0.001] and in parents with religious beliefs (vs. without religious beliefs, OR = 1.65, P = 0.040). More severe PGD symptoms were presented in parents whose only child died from accidents [vs. illness, MD (mean difference) = 3.99, P < 0.001]. Deceased children of PGD parents were older than those of non-PGD parents (MD = 1.64, P = 0.035) and PGD parents had a shorter duration since the loss than non-PGD parents (MD = -3.26, P = 0.013). Conclusions PGD is prevalent among Shidu parents. Grief counseling services for Shidu parents would be more effective if they target those who are mothers and have religious beliefs and those whose children died from accidents, lost children are older, and loss occurs more recently.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Di Yuan
- Research Center for Psychological and Health Sciences, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan, China
| | - Zong-Qin Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Wuhan Mental Health Center, Wuhan, China
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Wuhan Hospital for Psychotherapy, Wuhan, China
| | - Lei Fei
- Department of Ultrasound, Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Bao-Liang Zhong
- Research Center for Psychological and Health Sciences, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan, China
- Department of Psychiatry, Wuhan Mental Health Center, Wuhan, China
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Wuhan Hospital for Psychotherapy, Wuhan, China
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Downar J, Parsons HA, Cohen L, Besserer E, Adeli S, Gratton V, Murphy R, Warmels G, Bruni A, Bhimji K, Dyason C, Enright P, Desjardins I, Wooller K, Kabir M, Noel C, Heidinger B, Anderson K, Arsenault-Mehta K, Lapenskie J, Webber C, Bedard D, Iyengar A, Bush SH, Isenberg SR, Tanuseputro P, Vanderspank-Wright B, Lawlor P. Bereavement outcomes in family members of those who died in acute care hospitals before and during the first wave of COVID-19: A cohort study. Palliat Med 2022; 36:1305-1312. [PMID: 35786109 PMCID: PMC9446458 DOI: 10.1177/02692163221109711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has caused millions of deaths worldwide, leading to symptoms of grief among the bereaved. Neither the burden of severe grief nor its predictors are fully known within the context of the pandemic. AIM To determine the prevalence and predictors of severe grief in family members who were bereaved early in the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN Prospective, matched cohort study. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS Family members of people who died in an acute hospital in Ottawa, Canada between November 1, 2019 and August 31, 2020. We matched relatives of patients who died of COVID (COVID +ve) with those who died of non-COVID illness either during wave 1 of the pandemic (COVID -ve) or immediately prior to its onset (pre-COVID). We abstracted decedents' medical records, contacted family members >6 months post loss, and assessed grief symptoms using the Inventory of Complicated Grief-revised. RESULTS We abstracted data for 425 decedents (85 COVID +ve, 170 COVID -ve, and 170 pre-COVID), and 110 of 165 contacted family members (67%) consented to participate. Pre-COVID family members were physically present more in the last 48 h of life; the COVID +ve cohort were more present virtually. Overall, 35 family members (28.9%) had severe grief symptoms, and the prevalence was similar among the cohorts (p = 0.91). Grief severity was not correlated with demographic factors, physical presence in the final 48 h of life, intubation, or relationship with the deceased. CONCLUSION Severe grief is common among family members bereaved during the COVID-19 pandemic, regardless of the cause or circumstances of death, and even if their loss took place before the onset of the pandemic. This suggests that aspects of the pandemic itself contribute to severe grief, and factors that normally mitigate grief may not be as effective.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James Downar
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Bruyère Continuing Care, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Queensland University of Technology School of Law, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Henrique A Parsons
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Leila Cohen
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Bruyère Continuing Care, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Samantha Adeli
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Valérie Gratton
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Institut du Savoir Montfort, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Rebekah Murphy
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Bruyère Continuing Care, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Queensway-Carleton Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Grace Warmels
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Queensway-Carleton Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Adrianna Bruni
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Queensway-Carleton Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Khadija Bhimji
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Queensway-Carleton Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Claire Dyason
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Paula Enright
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Isabelle Desjardins
- The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Krista Wooller
- The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Monisha Kabir
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Chelsea Noel
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Brandon Heidinger
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Koby Anderson
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Julie Lapenskie
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Colleen Webber
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | | | - Shirley H Bush
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Bruyère Continuing Care, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Sarina R Isenberg
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Peter Tanuseputro
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Bruyère Continuing Care, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Peter Lawlor
- Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Bruyère Continuing Care, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Keser E, Ar-Karci Y, Danışman IG. Examining the Basic Assumption of Psychoanalytic Theory Regarding Normal and Abnormal Grief: Roles of Unfinished Businesses and Bereavement Related Guilt. Omega (Westport) 2022:302228221111946. [PMID: 35776860 DOI: 10.1177/00302228221111946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
To date, several theoretical models have been proposed to explain how the expected and natural grief processes turns into psychiatric disorders. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of empirical research examining the basic assumption of psychoanalytic theory regarding pre-death conflict and bereavement related guilt. Accordingly, the current study aimed to investigate the mediator role of bereavement related guilt in the relationship between the pre-death conflict and maladaptive grief process. The sample consisted of 447 bereaved adults who lost a loved one due to death in the last 5 years. The Unfinished Business in Bereavement (UBBS), Bereavement Guilt Scale (BGS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Prolonged Grief Disorder Scale (PG-13) scales were administered. The results indicated that the UBBS scores were positively correlated with both BDI and PG-13 scores, and BGS scores mediated these relationships. Obtained findings were discussed in relation to psychoanalytic theory and existing studies in the grief literature.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emrah Keser
- Department of Psychology, TED University, Ankara, Turkey
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, Text Revision includes prolonged grief disorder as a novel disorder. Prolonged grief disorder can be diagnosed when acute grief stays distressing and disabling, beyond 12 months following bereavement. Evidence indicates that elevated prolonged grief disorder symptoms in the first year of bereavement predict pervasive grief later in time; targeting early elevated grief may potentially prevent symptoms getting chronic. There is limited knowledge about the characteristics of people in the first year of bereavement who have an elevated chance of developing full prolonged grief disorder beyond the 12-month time point. This study examined these characteristics. METHODS We used self-reported data from 306 adults who all completed questions on socio-demographic and loss-related characteristics plus a measure of prolonged grief disorder within the first year of bereavement (Wave 1; time since loss: M = 4.97, SD = 3.13 months) and again 1 year later (Wave 2; time since loss: M = 17.84, SD = 3.38 months). We examined the prevalence rates of probable prolonged grief disorder (Wave 2), measurement invariance of prolonged grief disorder symptoms between waves, and associations of socio-demographic and loss-related variables, and Wave 1 prolonged grief disorder with probable prolonged grief disorder at Wave 2. RESULTS Regarding prevalence, 10.1% (n = 31) met criteria for probable prolonged grief disorder (Wave 2). Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis supported longitudinal measurement invariance of prolonged grief disorder symptoms. People meeting criteria at Wave 1 (except the time criterion) had a significantly increased risk of meeting criteria at Wave 2. Variables best predicting probable prolonged grief disorder at Wave 2 were prolonged grief disorder at Wave 1, lower education, loss of a child and loss to unnatural/violent causes (sensitivity = 56.67%, specificity = 98.12%, 93.92% correct classifications). CONCLUSION People meeting criteria for prolonged grief disorder (except the time criterion) before the first anniversary of the death are at risk of full-blown prolonged grief disorder beyond this time point, particularly those who have lower education, confronted the death of a child and confronted unnatural/violent loss. Findings may inform advances in preventive bereavement care.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul A Boelen
- Department of Clinical Psychology,
Faculty of Social Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands,ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre,
Diemen, The Netherlands,Paul A Boelen, Department of Clinical
Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Utrecht University, PO Box 80140, 3508
TC Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Lonneke IM Lenferink
- Department of Clinical Psychology,
Faculty of Social Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands,Department of Clinical Psychology and
Experimental Psychopathology, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University
of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Reed GM, First MB, Billieux J, Cloitre M, Briken P, Achab S, Brewin CR, King DL, Kraus SW, Bryant RA. Emerging experience with selected new categories in the ICD-11: complex PTSD, prolonged grief disorder, gaming disorder, and compulsive sexual behaviour disorder. World Psychiatry 2022; 21:189-213. [PMID: 35524599 PMCID: PMC9077619 DOI: 10.1002/wps.20960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Among the important changes in the ICD-11 is the addition of 21 new mental disorders. New categories are typically proposed to: a) improve the usefulness of morbidity statistics; b) facilitate recognition of a clinically important but poorly classified mental disorder in order to provide appropriate management; and c) stimulate research into more effective treatments. Given the major implications for the field and for World Health Organization (WHO) member states, it is important to examine the impact of these new categories during the early phase of the ICD-11 implementation. This paper focuses on four disorders: complex post-traumatic stress disorder, prolonged grief disorder, gaming disorder, and compulsive sexual behaviour disorder. These categories were selected because they have been the focus of considerable activity and/or controversy and because their inclusion in the ICD-11 represents a different decision than was made for the DSM-5. The lead authors invited experts on each of these disorders to provide insight into why it was considered important to add it to the ICD-11, implications for care of not having that diagnostic category, important controversies about adding the disorder, and a review of the evidence generated and other developments related to the category since the WHO signaled its intention to include it in the ICD-11. Each of the four diagnostic categories appears to describe a population with clinically important and distinctive features that had previously gone unrecognized as well as specific treatment needs that would otherwise likely go unmet. The introduction of these categories in the ICD-11 has been followed by a substantial expansion of research in each area, which has generally supported their validity and utility, and by a significant increase in the availability of appropriate services.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey M Reed
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael B First
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joël Billieux
- Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Excessive Gambling, Addiction Medicine, Lausanne University Hospitals, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marylene Cloitre
- National Center for PTSD Dissemination and Training Division, VA Palo Alto Health Care, Menlo Park, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Peer Briken
- Institute for Sex Research and Forensic Psychiatry, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sophia Achab
- Outpatient Treatment Unit for Addictive Behaviors ReConnecte, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Psychological and Sociological Research and Training Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Chris R Brewin
- Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Daniel L King
- College of Education, Psychology, and Social Work, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Shane W Kraus
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Richard A Bryant
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Zhao S, Ren L, Wang Q, Long M, Wu H, Wang Y. Predictors of prolonged grief disorder in Chinese elderly shidu parents: The role of perceived stigma and perceived stress. Asia Pac Psychiatry 2022; 14:e12489. [PMID: 34590778 DOI: 10.1111/appy.12489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Parents who have lost their only child and over the age of 60 are known as elderly shidu parents. This study aimed to investigate predictors of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) among Chinese elderly shidu parents. METHODS Two hundred and ninety-eight elderly shidu parents from Shenyang were included in this cross-sectional study. Participants completed a questionnaire including the Prolonged Grief questionnaire-13 (PG-13), the PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scales (CES-D), the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10). Multiple linear regression was used to examine socio-demographic, bereavement-related and perceived stress associated with PGD symptoms. RESULTS The prevalence of PGD among Chinese elderly shidu parents was 13.8%. Among the 41 PGD patients, 29, 39, 36 patients had comorbidity of PTSD, depressive symptoms and anxiety, respectively. Perceived stress, higher educational level, lower annual household income, perceived stigma, violent death of the child, and being in debt were associated with severer PGD symptoms. DISCUSSION The present study revealed the prevalence of PGD and the important role of PGD in diagnosing other mental disorders in Chinese elderly shidu parents. Providing financial help, eliminating social stigma, and stress should be included in PGD prevention among Chinese elderly shidu parents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Zhao
- Department of Social Medicine, College of Health Management, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Longfei Ren
- Department of Social Medicine, College of Health Management, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Qiong Wang
- Department of Social Medicine, College of Health Management, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Meijun Long
- Department of Social Medicine, College of Health Management, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Hui Wu
- Department of Social Medicine, College of Health Management, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yang Wang
- Department of Social Medicine, College of Health Management, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Blood C, Cacciatore J. "It Started After Trauma": The Effects of Traumatic Grief on Sleep Paralysis. Omega (Westport) 2022:302228221093895. [PMID: 35546322 DOI: 10.1177/00302228221093895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Adverse life events are associated with the often-terrifying REM sleep parasomnia of sleep paralysis (SP), but the impact of bereavement on SP has not been specifically examined. This exploratory, mixed-methods study (N = 168) includes qualitative data from 55 participants who described factors they believed led to their SP. Of these, almost half with a traumatic loss listed death-related precipitants. In unadjusted (bivariate) negative binomial regression models, traumatic death, time since death, religiosity, and age estimated increased SP frequency in the prior month, prior year, or both. In multivariable models, traumatic death, time since death, and age estimated increased frequency in the prior month, prior year, or both. Unexpectedly, in all models, as compared to death ≥9 years earlier, prior month SP was greater with death 1-6 years earlier, but not <1 year earlier. Discussion includes the possible role of social constraints in traumatic grief trajectories and care provider recommendations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cybele Blood
- Field Instructor, School of Social Work, 115456Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Joanne Cacciatore
- Professor, School of Social Work, 7864Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Kamp KS, Moskowitz A, Due H, Spindler H. Are Sensory Experiences of One's Deceased Spouse Associated with Bereavement-Related Distress? Omega (Westport) 2022:302228221078686. [PMID: 35384752 DOI: 10.1177/00302228221078686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Following late-life spousal bereavement, sensory and quasi-sensory experiences of the deceased (SED) are commonly reported. This longitudinal study examined SED among 310 older widowed adults 6-10 (T1) and 18-20 (T2) months post loss. Reports of SED in the first 6-10 months after loss were associated with higher symptom levels of prolonged grief, post-traumatic stress, and loneliness at T1. Experiencers of SED were more likely to experience symptoms of prolonged grief and post-traumatic stress above cut-off scores at T1. Importantly, only a minority of the experiencers of SED displayed these elevated levels of bereavement-related distress. In addition, employing multi-level-modeling, a similar trajectory of decreasing bereavement-related distress over time was found for both experiencers and non-experiencers of SED. We argue that SED may be one of several potential reactions to bereavement, which should not be seen as an indicator of grief complications per se.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karina S Kamp
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, 1006Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Helena Due
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, 1006Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Helle Spindler
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, 1006Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Bottomley JS, Feigelman WT, Rheingold AA. Exploring the mental health correlates of overdose loss. Stress Health 2022; 38:350-363. [PMID: 34448352 DOI: 10.1002/smi.3092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Despite the exorbitant rise in overdose-related deaths, little is known about the mental health burden associated with this form of loss. Using validated self-report instruments, the present study investigated the prevalence of pathological symptoms of prolonged grief disorder (PGD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and suicide risk among a sample of overdose loss survivors (n = 115). Comparison groups consisting of other sudden loss survivors (suicide and sudden-natural loss) were employed to illuminate any shared or unique mental health challenges. Consistent with this study's primary hypothesis, results indicated that the overall mental health burden of overdose loss is substantial. Specifically, after controlling for a number of covariates, overdose loss survivors were approximately three times more likely to meet the symptom severity threshold for PGD, PTSD, and MDD compared to sudden-natural loss survivors. Overdose loss survivors also appeared to be at risk for GAD symptoms and suicide, but differences were non-significant after accounting for a number of covariates. Overall, this study is the first to examine this particular constellation of mental health outcomes associated with overdose bereavement, underscoring the need for additional empirical and clinical attention placed on this burgeoning population.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jamison S Bottomley
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.,Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - William T Feigelman
- Department of Sociology, Nassau Community College, Garden City, New York, USA
| | - Alyssa A Rheingold
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Hopf D, Eckstein M, Ditzen B, Aguilar-Raab C. Still With Me? Assessing the Persisting Relationship to a Deceased Loved-One - Validation of the "Continuing Bonds Scale" in a German Population. Omega (Westport) 2022:302228221076622. [PMID: 35302429 DOI: 10.1177/00302228221076622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Continuing the bond (CB) to a deceased loved one plays a clinically significant role in grief. We validated the Continuing Bonds Scale (CBS) examining externalized CB (illusions and hallucinations) versus internalized CB (use of the deceased as a secure base) in relation to risk factors of complicated grief and bereavement-related adjustment. Data from 364 bereaved German participants on CBS, Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG), and Posttraumatic Personal Growth Inventory (PPGI) entered an exploratory factor analysis. This yielded a two-factor-solution representing externalized and internalized CB (KMO = .89, χ2 = 2100.5, df = 120). Both factors demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .87). ICG and PPGI highly correlated with externalized and internalized CB. Cause of death and feelings of responsibility were associated with externalized CB. In the future, the use of the CBS could help predict problems in grief processing and consequently implement early interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dora Hopf
- Institute of Medical Psychology, 9144Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Ruprecht-Karls University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Monika Eckstein
- Institute of Medical Psychology, 9144Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Ruprecht-Karls University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Beate Ditzen
- Institute of Medical Psychology, 9144Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Ruprecht-Karls University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Corina Aguilar-Raab
- Institute of Medical Psychology, 9144Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Ruprecht-Karls University, Heidelberg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Harrison O, Windmann S, Rosner R, Steil R. Interpersonal problems and cooperative behavior in patients suffering from prolonged grief disorder as compared to bereaved healthy controls. J Clin Psychol 2022; 78:1912-1924. [PMID: 35247273 DOI: 10.1002/jclp.23340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Interpersonal factors, such as impairments in social interaction or lack of social support, have an important share when it comes to the development, maintenance, and progression of various mental disorders. METHODS Individuals suffering from prolonged grief disorder (PGD) and matched bereaved healthy controls (n = 54) underwent a thorough diagnostic procedure, further completed the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP-D-32), and participated in a finitely iterated prisoner's dilemma (FIPD). RESULTS Individuals suffering from PGD reported significantly more interpersonal problems. Both groups behaved differently in the FIPD with healthy controls being more carefully, adapting their behavior more flexible, whereas PGD patients displayed a lower responsiveness, which may indicate an inability to adapt to changes in relationships. CONCLUSION We conclude that interpersonal problems appear to be a relevant feature of PGD. Future studies need to clarify the causal relation behind this link, and should also include measures of attachment, social support, and disconnectedness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Octavia Harrison
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sabine Windmann
- Department of Cognitive Psychology II, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Rita Rosner
- Department of Clinical and Biological Psychology, Catholic University Eichstaett-Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Regina Steil
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.,Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Gießen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Sekowski M, Prigerson HG. Disorganized attachment and prolonged grief. J Clin Psychol 2022; 78:1806-1823. [PMID: 35132649 DOI: 10.1002/jclp.23325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE While the relationship between attachment anxiety and avoidance and the severity of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) has been well-studied, less is known about the relationship between disorganized attachment and PGD. We test the associations between disorganized attachment and the interaction between it and attachment avoidance and anxiety on PGD. METHOD Participants (N = 258) who had lost a family member from 0.5 to 8.0 years before the survey completed the experiences in close relationships-revised, the adult disorganized attachment scale, and the PGD-13 scale. RESULTS The model explaining PGD symptoms through attachment, taking into account the level of disorganized attachment, explained variance in PGD significantly better than the model taking into account only the level of attachment anxiety and avoidance as predictors. Additionally, the relationships between attachment avoidance and PGD were positive, negative, or neither, depending on the configuration of the levels of disorganized attachment and attachment anxiety. CONCLUSION Future research into the relationships between attachment and PGD should take into account disorganized attachment. Attachment-informed grief therapy focused on insecure styles of attachment - including the disorganized style - to the deceased person and other loved ones may prove a promising approach for bereaved persons who experience PGD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marcin Sekowski
- Department of Psychology, The Maria Grzegorzewska University, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Holly G Prigerson
- Cornell Center for Research on End-of-Life Care, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, New York, USA.,Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Doering BK, Barke A, Vogel A, Comtesse H, Rosner R. Predictors of Prolonged Grief Disorder in a German Representative Population Sample: Unexpectedness of Bereavement Contributes to Grief Severity and Prolonged Grief Disorder. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:853698. [PMID: 35558417 PMCID: PMC9090313 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.853698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Most people adapt to bereavement over time. For a minority, the grief persists and may lead to a prolonged grief disorder (PGD). Identifying grievers at risk of PGD may enable specific prevention measures. The present study examined the extent to which the subjective unexpectedness of the death predicted grief outcomes above and beyond known sociodemographic and objective loss-related variables in a sample drawn from a population-representative investigation. In our sample (n = 2,531), 811 participants (M age 55.1 ± 17.8 years, 59.2% women) had experienced the loss of a significant person six or more months ago. Participants provided demographic and loss-related information, perceptions of the unexpectedness of the death and completed the Prolonged Grief Disorder-13 + 9 (PG-13 + 9). The PG-13 + 9 was used to determine PGD caseness. A binary logistic regression investigated predictors of PGD caseness, and a linear regression predictors of grief severity. ANCOVAs compared PGD symptoms between the groups who had experienced an "expected" vs. "unexpected" loss, while controlling for the relationship to the deceased and time since loss. The loss of a child (OR = 23.66; 95%CI, 6.03-68.28), or a partner (OR = 5.32; 95%CI, 1.79-15.83), the time since loss (OR = 0.99; 95%CI, 0.99-1.00) and the unexpectedness of the death (OR = 3.58; 95%CI, 1.70-7.69) were significant predictors of PGD caseness (Nagelkerke's R2 = 0.25) and grief severity. Participants who had experienced the loss as unexpected (vs. expected) reported higher scores on all PGD symptoms. Unexpectedness of the death emerged as significant risk factor for PGD, even after controlling for demographic and other loss-related variables. While our findings replicate previous research on the importance of the relationship to the deceased as a risk factor for PGD, they also highlight the importance of assessing the subjective unexpectedness of a death and may help to identify risk groups who can profit from preventive interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bettina K Doering
- Clinical and Biological Psychology, Catholic University Eichstaett-Ingolstadt, Eichstaett, Germany.,Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Neuruppin, Germany
| | - Antonia Barke
- Clinical and Biological Psychology, Catholic University Eichstaett-Ingolstadt, Eichstaett, Germany
| | - Anna Vogel
- Clinical and Biological Psychology, Catholic University Eichstaett-Ingolstadt, Eichstaett, Germany
| | - Hannah Comtesse
- Clinical and Biological Psychology, Catholic University Eichstaett-Ingolstadt, Eichstaett, Germany
| | - Rita Rosner
- Clinical and Biological Psychology, Catholic University Eichstaett-Ingolstadt, Eichstaett, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Abstract
BACKGROUND The International Classification of Diseases eleventh edition (ICD-11) has recently included prolonged grief disorder (PGD), a diagnosis characterized by severe, persistent, and disabling grief. The text revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 (DSM-5-TR) is scheduled to include a similar but distinct diagnosis, also termed PGD. Concerns have been raised that these new diagnoses are qualitatively different from both prior proposed diagnoses for pathological grief and each other, which may affect the generalizability of findings obtained with different criteria sets. OBJECTIVE We conducted a content overlap analysis of PGDICD-11, PGDDSM-5-TR, and previous proposals for pathological grief diagnoses (i.e. PGD 2009; complicated grief (CG), PGD ICD-11 beta draft, persistent complex bereavement disorder (PCBD) per DSM-5). METHODS Using the Jaccard's Index, we established the degree of content overlap between core and accessory symptoms of PGDICD-11, PGDDSM-5-TR, and prior proposals for pathological grief diagnoses. RESULTS Main findings are that PGDICD-11 and PGDDSM-5-TR showed moderate content overlap with each other and with most prior proposed diagnoses for pathological grief. PGDICD-11 and PGDDSM-5-TR showed the strongest content overlap with their direct predecessors, PGDICD-11 beta draft and PCBD, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Limited content overlap between PGDICD-11 and PGDDSM-5-TR and preceding criteria sets may threaten generalizability of past research on phenomenological characteristics of pathological grief to current criteria sets. Similarly, findings obtained with instruments to assess PGDICD-11 may not generalize to PGDDSM-5-TR and vice versa. Researchers should aim to determine under which circumstances criteria sets for PGD yield similar or distinct characteristics. Convergence of criteria sets for PGD remains an important goal for the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maarten C Eisma
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Antje Janshen
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Lonneke I M Lenferink
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychology, Health, & Technology, Faculty of Behavioural, Management, and Social Sciences, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.,Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acute grief appears more severe after COVID-19 deaths than natural deaths. Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) also appears prevalent following COVID-19 deaths. Researchers hypothesize that specific loss characteristics and pandemic-related circumstances may precipitate more severe grief following COVID-19 deaths compared to (other) natural deaths. Systematic research on these hypotheses may help identify those most at risk for severe grief reactions, yet it is scant. OBJECTIVE To compare loss characteristics, loss circumstances, and grief levels among people bereaved due to COVID-19, natural, and unnatural causes. METHODS Adults bereaved through COVID-19 (n = 99), natural causes (n = 1006), and unnatural causes (n = 161) completed an online survey. We administered self-report measures of demographic variables (i.e., age, gender), loss characteristics (i.e., time since loss, relationship with the deceased, intensive care admission, expectedness of death), loss circumstances (i.e., saying goodbye appropriately, COVID-19 infection, quarantine, financial setbacks, social support satisfaction, altered funeral arrangements, funeral satisfaction), and prolonged grief symptoms. RESULTS COVID-19 deaths (vs. other deaths) more often were parental deaths and less often child deaths. COVID-19 deaths (vs. natural deaths) were more often unexpected and characterized by an inability to say goodbye appropriately. People bereaved due to COVID-19 (vs. other deaths) were more often infected and quarantined. COVID-19 deaths (vs. other deaths) more often involved intensive care admission and altered funeral arrangements. COVID-19 deaths yielded higher grief levels than natural deaths (but not unnatural deaths). Expectedness of the death and the inability to say goodbye appropriately explained this effect. CONCLUSIONS Bereavement due to COVID-19 is characterized by a unique set of loss characteristics and circumstances and elevated grief levels. Improving opportunities to say goodbye before and after death (e.g., by means of rituals) may provide an important means to prevent and reduce severe grief following COVID-19 deaths. HIGHLIGHTS COVID-19 deaths have unique loss characteristics and circumstances and elicit more severe grief than natural deaths.Death expectedness and the ability to say goodbye appropriately appear important in understanding, preventing and treating grief following COVID-19 deaths.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maarten C Eisma
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Haneveld J, Rosner R, Vogel A, Mäkitalo S, Treml J, Steil R, Rief W, Comtesse H. Introduction and evaluation of a therapeutic adherence and competence scale for grief-focused cognitive behavioural therapy. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2022; 13:2079873. [PMID: 35759325 PMCID: PMC9225790 DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2022.2079873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is no therapeutic competence and adherence scale for grief-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (grief-focused CBT). However, given the growing body of evidence for the efficacy of grief-focused CBT, such a scale is needed both to ensure the internal validity of clinical trials and to facilitate psychotherapy process research. OBJECTIVE To develop and undertake a psychometric evaluation of a therapeutic adherence and competence scale for grief-focused CBT. METHOD The scale was developed in two steps. (I) Five experts on the treatment of prolonged grief disorder provided feedback on the relevance and appropriateness of the items. The scale was revised to reflect their feedback. The final therapeutic adherence and competence scale for grief (TACs-G) consisted of 15 adherence and 16 competence items. (II) Psychometric evaluation of the TACs-G was based on the rating of 48 randomly selected PG-CBT sessions by two independent raters. The videos were recorded in the context of a randomized controlled trial (RCT; DRKS00012317.) ICC was used to calculate inter-rater reliability and TACs-G stability over time (re-evaluation of 10 sessions after 12 months). RESULTS The five experts confirmed the relevance and appropriateness of the items. Interrater reliability was found to be high for the total adherence and competence scores (ICC = 0.889 and 0.782, respectively) and moderate to excellent for individual items (ICC = 0.509-1.00). The TACs-G stability over time was found to be strong for both adherence (ICC = 0.970) and competence total scores (ICC = 0.965). CONCLUSIONS The TACs-G for CBT is a reliable instrument that can be used not only to ensure internal validity but is also suited for psychotherapy process studies. Additionally, it provides a valuable database for targeted feedback in training settings. HIGHLIGHTS This is the first study to report on the development and psychometrical evaluation of a grief-focused adherence and competence scale.Although an increasing number of clinical trials do report the efficacy of grief-focused cognitive-behavioural therapy, none of these studies used a standardized adherence and competence scale to control internal validity.In the present study, we introduced a therapeutic adherence and competence scale for grief (TACs-G) that can be applied efficiently across different research settings (e.g. manipulation check, dissemination), and report results of good to excellent psychometric properties.The scale itself could prove useful beyond the research setting as it could possibly serve as a basis for feedback in training settings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julia Haneveld
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University Eichstaett-Ingolstadt, Ingolstadt, Germany
| | - Rita Rosner
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University Eichstaett-Ingolstadt, Ingolstadt, Germany
| | - Anna Vogel
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University Eichstaett-Ingolstadt, Ingolstadt, Germany
| | - Svenja Mäkitalo
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University Eichstaett-Ingolstadt, Ingolstadt, Germany
| | - Julia Treml
- Department für Psychische Gesundheit, Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Regina Steil
- Goethe Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | | | - Hannah Comtesse
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University Eichstaett-Ingolstadt, Ingolstadt, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Harrison O, Windmann S, Rosner R, Steil R. Inclusion of the other in the self as a potential risk factor for prolonged grief disorder: A comparison of patients with matched bereaved healthy controls. Clin Psychol Psychother 2021; 29:1101-1112. [PMID: 34822735 DOI: 10.1002/cpp.2697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Pathological grief has received increasing attention in recent years, as about 10% of the bereaved suffer from one kind of it. Pathological grief in the form of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) is a relatively new diagnostic category which will be included into the upcoming ICD-11. To date, various risk and protective factors, as well as treatment options for pathological grief, have been proposed. Nevertheless, empirical evidence in that area is still scarce. Our aim was to identify the association of interpersonal closeness with the deceased and bereavement outcome. Interpersonal closeness with the deceased in 54 participants (27 patients suffering from PGD and 27 bereaved healthy controls) was assessed as the overlap of pictured identities via the inclusion of the other in the self scale (IOS scale). In addition to that, data on PGD symptomatology, general mental distress and depression were collected. Patients suffering from PGD reported higher inclusion of the deceased in the self. By contrast, they reported feeling less close towards another living close person. Results of the IOS scale were associated with PGD severity, general mental distress and depression. Inclusion of the deceased in the self is a significant statistical predictor for PGD caseness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Octavia Harrison
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sabine Windmann
- Department of Cognitive Psychology II, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Rita Rosner
- Department of Clinical and Biological Psychology, Catholic University Eichstaett-Ingolstadt, Eichstaett, Germany
| | - Regina Steil
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.,Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Marburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Sekowski M, Prigerson HG. Conflicted or close: Which relationships to the deceased are associated with loss-related psychopathology? Br J Clin Psychol 2021; 61:510-526. [PMID: 34724233 DOI: 10.1111/bjc.12344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Prior studies have shown that pre-loss closeness and conflict with a deceased person are associated with the severity of symptoms of prolonged grief and/or depression. Nevertheless, mechanisms underlying these relationships are not well understood. We propose a theoretical model in which past closeness and conflict are related to prolonged grief and depression via concrete and symbolic continuing bonds (CB). The aim of our study was to test this model in a sample of bereaved family members. METHODS Individuals (N = 244) who had lost a family member from 0.5 to 8.0 years before the survey completed the Quality of Relationships Inventory-Bereavement Version, the Continuing Bonds Scale, the Prolonged Grief Disorder-13 scale, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. RESULTS The findings partially confirmed our model. Closeness was positively and moderately associated with symptoms of prolonged grief but not with symptoms of depression. Conflict was positively and weakly associated with symptoms of depression and prolonged grief. All of these relationships were only partially mediated by concrete/maladaptive and symbolic/adaptive CB. CONCLUSIONS The differences in the relationship of past closeness and conflict to prolonged grief and depression symptoms suggest that inter- and intrapersonal mechanisms of prolonged grief and depressive symptoms may be distinct. If future, especially longitudinal studies, confirm our model, CB would be a possible target for interventions for bereaved persons who had a close and/or conflicted relationship with a deceased family member and experience loss-related psychopathology. PRACTITIONER POINTS Continuing bonds (CB) are a potential target of interventions for bereaved persons who had a close and/or conflicted relationship with a deceased family member and experience symptoms of prolonged grief and/or depression. Internalization of the capacity to care for yourself and feel autonomous in a safe and stable therapeutic relationship may lead to increased self-confidence, promote working through past experiences in the relationship with the deceased, and gradual reduction of concrete forms of CB. Increasing awareness and acceptance of emotional experiences may contribute to the appreciation of past relationship with a deceased person and the growth of symbolic forms of CB. Future research should focus on verifying the effectiveness of the attachment-informed therapeutic approach to working with CB.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marcin Sekowski
- Department of Psychology, The Maria Grzegorzewska University, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Holly G Prigerson
- Cornell Center for Research on End-of-Live Care, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, New York, USA.,Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Reiland H, Banerjee A, Claesges SA, Giuca AM, Hillard CJ, Reynolds CF, Goveas JS. The influence of depression on the relationship between loneliness and grief trajectories in bereaved older adults. Psychiatry Res Commun 2021; 1:100006. [PMID: 35928209 PMCID: PMC9345326 DOI: 10.1016/j.psycom.2021.100006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/20/2023]
Abstract
Loneliness is associated with adverse mental health outcomes in older adults. Bereavement triggers intense feelings of loneliness. This pilot study explored the association between baseline loneliness and grief symptom trajectories in bereaved elders and explored if this association is moderated by depressive symptom changes. 56 individuals aged 50 years and older, within 13-months following bereavement, completed assessments. Loneliness was measured at baseline using the UCLA loneliness scale-version 3. Grief and depressive symptoms were measured over 26 weeks using the inventory of complicated grief (ICG) and the 17-item Hamilton Depressive Rating (HAM-D) scales, respectively. Linear regression explored the cross-sectional association between loneliness and grief symptoms, after adjusting for covariates including depressive symptoms. A mixed-effects linear model tested whether baseline loneliness was related to grief symptom trajectory over 26 weeks, after accounting for depressive symptom changes. Loneliness was associated with grief symptom severity at baseline; however, this cross-sectional association was not significant after adjusting for depressive symptoms. Longitudinally, baseline loneliness was positively associated with grief symptom trajectories; however, depressive symptom changes moderated this association. Depressive symptom alterations appear to weaken the loneliness-grief symptom change association. These exploratory findings point to opportunities for interventions targeting loneliness and depression that may reduce grief intensity over time in bereaved elders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Reiland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
| | - Anjishnu Banerjee
- Institute for Health and Equity, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
| | - Stacy A. Claesges
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
| | - Anne-Marie Giuca
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
| | - Cecilia J. Hillard
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
| | - Charles F. Reynolds
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Joseph S. Goveas
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
- Institute for Health and Equity, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
- Corresponding author: Joseph S. Goveas, M.D., Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Professor, Institute of Health and Equity, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, Wis. 53226, , Tel: (414) 955-8983
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Vedder A, Stroebe MS, Schut HAW, Boerner K, Stokes JE, Boelen PA. Loneliness in Bereavement: Measurement Matters. Front Psychol 2021; 12:741762. [PMID: 34589033 PMCID: PMC8473627 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.741762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of loneliness in the bereavement experience has been reported as substantial, with the death of a close person leaving a considerable void in the life of the bereaved. Yet, there is lack of agreement about its precise role and, notably, whether loneliness should be included as a core symptom for diagnosis of grief complications. The ongoing threat of heightened social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic underlines the need to understand the impact of loneliness, and to accurately chart its prevalence, intensity, duration, and associated difficulties in the context of bereavement. Assessment issues are central to this endeavor. In this article, we review the scientific literature to examine how loneliness after bereavement has been operationalized and measured. Sixty-three articles analyzing 51 independent datasets were reviewed. Results show major disparities: approximately half of the projects assessed loneliness by means of one of two validated scales (spanning different versions); the remainder included only single- or few-item measures. Diverse instructions, content and answer categories were used. While one size does not fit all, awareness of assessment options and dis/advantages may aid selection of the most appropriate measure, to suit the goals of a particular study and the specific groups under investigation. Our conclusion is that, in selecting a loneliness measure, health care professionals should come to their own well-informed decision, aided by the information provided in our review.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anneke Vedder
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Margeret S Stroebe
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Department of Clinical Psychology & Experimental Psychopathology, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Henk A W Schut
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Kathrin Boerner
- Department of Gerontology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jeffrey E Stokes
- Department of Gerontology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Paul A Boelen
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.,ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre, Diemen, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Wen FH, Chou WC, Hou MM, Su PJ, Shen WC, Chen JS, Chang WC, Hsu MH, Tang ST. Associations of death-preparedness states with bereavement outcomes for family caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients. Psychooncology 2021; 31:450-459. [PMID: 34549848 DOI: 10.1002/pon.5827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Revised: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Death preparedness involves cognitive prognostic awareness and emotional acceptance of a relative's death. Effects of retrospectively assessed cognitive prognostic awareness and emotional preparedness for patient death have been individually investigated among bereaved family caregivers. We aimed to prospectively examine associations of caregivers' death-preparedness states, determined by conjoint cognitive prognostic awareness and emotional preparedness for death, with bereavement outcomes. METHODS Associations of caregivers' death-preparedness states (no-death-preparedness, cognitive-death-preparedness-only, emotional-death-preparedness-only, and sufficient-death-preparedness states) at last preloss assessment with bereavement outcomes over the first two bereavement years were evaluated among 332 caregivers of advanced cancer patients using hierarchical linear models with the logit-transformed posterior probability for each death-preparedness state. RESULTS Caregivers with a higher logit-transformed posterior probability for sufficient death-preparedness state reported less prolonged-grief symptoms, lower likelihoods of severe depressive symptoms and heightened decisional regret, and better mental health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Caregivers with a higher logit-transformed posterior probability for no-death-preparedness state reported less prolonged-grief symptoms, a lower likelihood of severe depressive symptoms, and better mental HRQOL. A higher logit-transformed posterior probability for cognitive-death-preparedness-only state was associated with bereaved caregivers' higher likelihood of heightened decisional regret, whereas that for emotional-death-preparedness-only state was not associated with caregivers' bereavement outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Caregivers' bereavement outcomes were associated with their preloss death-preparedness states, except for physical health-related QOL. Interventions focused on not only cultivating caregivers' accurate prognostic awareness but also adequately preparing them emotionally for their relative's forthcoming death are actionable opportunities for high-quality end-of-life care and are urgently warranted to facilitate caregivers' bereavement adjustment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fur-Hsing Wen
- Department of International Business, Soochow University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Wen-Chi Chou
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC.,School of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Ming-Mo Hou
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Po-Jung Su
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Wen-Chi Shen
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Jen-Shi Chen
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC.,School of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Wen-Cheng Chang
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC.,School of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Mei Huang Hsu
- School of Nursing, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Siew Tzuh Tang
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC.,School of Nursing, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC.,Department of Nursing, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Abstract
Five diagnostic criteria sets for pathological grief are currently used in research. Studies evaluating their performance indicate that it is not justified to generalise findings regarding prevalence rates and predictive validity across studies using different diagnostic criteria of pathological grief. We provide recommendations to move the bereavement field forward.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lonneke I. M. Lenferink
- Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Groningen; and Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Utrecht University, The Netherlands,Correspondence: Lonneke I. M. Lenferink.
| | - Paul A. Boelen
- Professor, Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Utrecht University; Professor, ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre; and Clinical Psychologist, Foundation Centrum ‘45, The Netherlands
| | - Geert E. Smid
- Psychiatrist, ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre; Psychiatrist, Foundation Centrum ’45; and Professor, University of Humanistic Studies, The Netherlands
| | - Muirne C. S. Paap
- Assistant Professor, Department of Inclusive and Special Needs Education, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen; Assistant Professor, Department of Child and Family Welfare, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, The Netherlands; and Researcher, Department of Research and Development, Clinic Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Bryant RA, Edwards B, Creamer M, O'Donnell M, Forbes D, Felmingham KL, Silove D, Steel Z, McFarlane AC, Van Hooff M, Nickerson A, Hadzi-Pavlovic D. Prolonged grief in refugees, parenting behaviour and children's mental health. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2021; 55:863-873. [PMID: 33124446 DOI: 10.1177/0004867420967420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many refugees experience bereavement, and as a result they suffer elevated rates of prolonged grief disorder. Evidence also indicates that elevated rates of psychological disturbance in refugee children can be associated with parental mental health. This study examined the extent to which prolonged grief disorder in refugees is associated with their parenting behaviour and in turn with their children's mental health. METHODS This study recruited participants from the Building a New Life in Australia prospective cohort study of refugees admitted to Australia between October 2013 and February 2014. The current data were collected in 2015-2016 and comprised 1799 adults, as well as 411 children of the adult respondents. Adult refugees were assessed for trauma history, post-migration difficulties, harsh and warm parenting, probable prolonged grief disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder. Children were administered the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The current analyses on bereaved refugees comprise 110 caregivers and 178 children. RESULTS In this cohort, 37% of bereaved refugees reported probable prolonged grief disorder. Path analysis indicated that caregivers' grief was directly associated with children's emotional difficulties. Caregiver warmth was associated with reduced emotional problems in children of refugees with minimal grief but associated with more emotional problems in caregivers with more severe grief. More harsh parenting was associated with children's conduct problems, and this was more evident in those with less severe grief. CONCLUSION Severity of prolonged grief disorder is directly linked to refugee children's mental health. The association between parenting style, grief severity and children's mental health highlights that managing grief reactions in refugees can benefit both refugees and their children.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard A Bryant
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Ben Edwards
- Centre for Social Research and Methods, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Mark Creamer
- Phoenix Australia, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, VIC, Australia
| | - Meaghan O'Donnell
- Phoenix Australia, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, VIC, Australia
| | - David Forbes
- Phoenix Australia, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, VIC, Australia
| | - Kim L Felmingham
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Derrick Silove
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Zachary Steel
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Alexander C McFarlane
- Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Miranda Van Hooff
- Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Angela Nickerson
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Tang R, Xie T, Jiao K, Xu X, Zou X, Qian W, Wang J. Grief Reactions and Grief Counseling among Bereaved Chinese Individuals during COVID-19 Pandemic: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial Combined with a Longitudinal Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021; 18:9061. [PMID: 34501650 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18179061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
COVID-19 has caused nearly 4.3 million deaths all around the world. People who have experienced loss during this special period may find it difficult to adapt to life after loss, and may even suffer from prolonged grief disorder or other mental health problems. However, there is a huge gap of grief research in China, with almost no comprehensive grief intervention training system or very few professional grief consultants. Considering the large number of bereaved individuals who are suffering from grief and other mental health problems, it is significant to develop a suitable and effective intervention protocol immediately. This article illustrates a study protocol initiated by a Chinese university to investigate the mental health of bereaved individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic and train grief counselors to provide grief counseling to the bereaved, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of the grief counseling. The method is as follows: (1) 300 psychological counselors will be recruited to attend the grief counseling training. Assessments will be conducted at three time points: baseline (T0), after the basic training (T1), and after the advanced training (T2); (2) 500 bereaved Chinese will be recruit to join the online survey and will be assessed at two time points with a six-month interval; and (3) a two-armed (grief counseling versus wait-list controls) RCT (random control trials) will be conducted with 160 bereaved individuals. Assessments will be conducted at three time points: before randomization (baseline, T0), at the post-counseling (T1), and three months after the post-counseling (T2). Primary outcomes will be assessed by the Prolonged Grief Questionnaire (PG-13), the 20-item PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI). This research will help develop grief research and grief counseling in China, as well as provide professional mental health services for individuals who may suffer from grief-related disorders in the future.
Collapse
|