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

Risk and correlates of prolonged grief disorder in bereaved Chinese university students

Bereavement can present significant challenges for university students, yet the proportion at risk of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) remains unclear. This study examined the proportion at risk of PGD and associated factors among Chinese university students. Using an online survey administered to bereaved university students in mainland China (N = 948), 424 students (Mage=21.60, 56.1% female) reported a significant loss for more than 12 months. Chi-squared and t-tests were used to examine associations between PGD risk and related factors. Results showed 14.2% of the sample were at high risk of PGD. The most frequently reported symptoms were a marked sense of disbelief, intense emotional pain, and yearning for the deceased. PGD risk was associated with physical health, age and relationship to the deceased, expectedness and cause of death, resilience, and stress since the loss. Identifying these correlates can inform future prevention or intervention strategies for bereaved university students.

A Psychometric Analysis of the Spanish Version of the Grief Impairment Scale: A Screening Tool of Biopsychosocial Grief-Related Functional Impairment in a Salvadoran Sample

The objective of this study was to translate and psychometrically evaluate a Spanish version of the Grief Impairment Scale (GIS) using a sample of bereaved adults from El Salvador (N = 579). The results confirm the unidimensional structure of the GIS, and solid reliability, item characteristics, and criterion-related validity, where the GIS scale significantly and positively predicts depression. However, this instrument only showed evidence of configural and metric invariance between different sex groups. Overall, these results support the Spanish version of the GIS as a psychometrically sound screening tool for health professionals and researchers to use in their clinical work.

Personal reminiscence styles and adaptation to bereavement: how meaning mediates their relationship

OBJECTIVES

Personal reminiscence styles are known to influence a person's well-being, but research regarding their impact on bereavement outcomes is limited. Based on previous findings, we assumed ruminative and reflective reminiscence styles to be associated with feelings of grief and personal growth, and that meaning-making efforts and the degree of having meaning-made of losing a loved one potentially mediate these relationships.

METHODS

The final study sample consisted of 198 participants aged between18 and 75 years (M_age = 40.58, SD = 39.0), 83.3% were female. In a first step, we ran separate mediation models to examine the associations between reminiscence styles, processes of making meaning of the loss and bereavement. Based on these results, we build a parsimonious, inclusive pathway model.

RESULTS

Our findings indicate that a ruminative reminiscence style is related to feelings of grief and personal growth through its associations with meaning-made. A reflective reminiscence style, in contrast, is associated with feelings of grief through its relation to meaning-making efforts. Moreover, a reflective reminiscence style is directly related to personal growth.

CONCLUSION

Findings are discussed regarding their implications for both areas of research - autobiographical remembering and adaptation to bereavement, as well as their applicability in clinical settings.

Interpersonal problems and cooperative behavior in patients suffering from prolonged grief disorder as compared to bereaved healthy controls

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.