Abstract
BackgroundCognitive behavioural correlates to bereavement-related mental health problems such a Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are of theoretical and clinical importance.MethodsIndividuals bereaved at least six months (N = 647) completed measures of loss-related cognitions and behaviours (i.e., loss-related memory characteristics, negative appraisals, coping strategies, grief resilience, and perceived social disconnection) and measures of PGD and PTSD symptoms. Individuals were assigned to one of four groups depending on probable clinical diagnoses (No-PGD/PTSD, PTSD, PGD, PGD+PTSD).ResultsResults indicated that higher loss-related memory characteristics and lower grief resilience increased the likelihood of a clinical problem. The PGD and PGD+PTSD groups reported significantly higher loss-related memory characteristics and appraisals compared to the PTSD group. Social disconnection increased the likelihood of comorbid PGD+PTSD in comparison to any other group.ConclusionsResults indicate cognitive differences between loss-related cognitions, memory characteristics and coping strategies between PGD and PTSD, and points to distinct cognitive correlates to psychopathology following loss.
Highlights
Following bereavement, a minority of individuals develop mental health problems
The prolonged grief disorder (PGD) and PGD+posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) groups reported significantly higher loss-related memory characteristics and appraisals compared to the PTSD group
Social disconnection increased the likelihood of comorbid PGD+PTSD in comparison to any other group
Summary
A minority of individuals develop mental health problems. Some individuals develop one or both of the stress-response syndromes posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and prolonged grief disorder (PGD) [1,2]. Cognitive behavioural correlates to bereavement-related mental health problems such a Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are of theoretical and clinical importance. Univariate analyses of group differences were conducted for each of the five cognitive behavioural measures (memory characteristics, negative appraisals, coping strategies, social disconnection, and grief resilience) to determine their relationships with the groups separately. To account for these multiple comparisons, Bonferroni alpha adjustment set the significance level for each univariate model to p < .01 (α/5). Given their association with PGD and PTSD, age, gender, education, months since loss, violent loss and Demographics Age in years M (SD) Gender N (%) Female Highest level of education N (%)
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