Grief Experience Questionnaire Research Articles

Mourning in the time of coronavirus: Examining how grief differs in those who lost loved ones to COVID-19 vs. natural causes in Iran.

Our study aimed to analyze and compare the grief experiences of individuals in Iran who lost family members to COVID-19 and those who lost loved ones to other natural causes. In this study, telephone interviews were conducted with 640 first-degree relatives, and finally, a total of 395 people remained in the research. Participants answered the Prolonged Grief Questionnaire (PG-13-R) and Grief Experience Questionnaire. The results showed that the most common symptoms and features of grief were feeling guilt, searching for an explanation, somatic reactions, and rejection, with no significant difference observed between the 2 death groups. However, the average scores for these symptoms were higher in the COVID-19 death group. Moreover, the majority of bereaved reported signs and symptoms of prolonged grief, with a higher percentage in the COVID-19 death group, although there was no significant difference between the 2 death groups in terms of the distribution of symptoms and signs of prolonged grief. These findings suggest that the bereavement process can be challenging, and losing a loved one to COVID-19 may lead to more intense experiences of grief. The study reveals high levels of guilt, searching for meaning, somatic reactions, and rejection among COVID-19 grievers. Losing loved ones to the pandemic appears linked to more intense, prolonged grief symptoms.

Investigating the mediating influence of distress tolerance on the relationship between existential thinking, sense of coherence, and the severity of mourning among families who lost a loved one to COVID-19: A cross-sectional study.

The objective of the current study was to examine how distress tolerance functions as a mediator in the relationship between existential thinking, sense of coherence, and the severity of mourning experienced by families who have lost a loved one to COVID-19. The present study employed a descriptive correlational research design, targeting family members of those who passed away due to COVID-19 in the city of Mianeh in 2022. A sample of 160 individuals was selected for statistical analysis. The research instruments used in this study consisted of Flensberg's sense of coherence questionnaire (2006), Simmons and Gaher's emotional distress tolerance questionnaire (2005), Sugbart and Scott's grief experience questionnaire (1989), and Branton Scherer's existential thinking questionnaire (2006). The collected data were analyzed using path analysis, as well as SPSS and Amos software. The findings of the study revealed a significant correlation coefficient between existential thinking (r = 0.465), sense of coherence (r = 0.401), and distress tolerance (r = 0.521) with the severity of mourning experienced by families who lost a loved one to COVID-19. Moreover, the results indicated a positive and significant relationship (p > 0.01) between distress tolerance and sense of coherence (r = 0.126), as well as between distress tolerance and existential thinking (r = 0.059) among the bereaved families. However, the bootstrap test results suggested that distress tolerance did not mediate the relationship between sense of coherence and the severity of mourning in the families of COVID-19 victims. Consistent with prior research, the current study's findings indicated that both existential thinking and sense of coherence had a direct impact on the severity of mourning experienced by families who lost a loved one to COVID-19. Additionally, the results revealed that the influence of existential thinking on the severity of mourning was mediated indirectly by increasing distress tolerance.

The effectiveness of grief coping training in a group way in improving the experience of grief caused by covid-19 in women of Yazd city

Introduction: The high prevalence of the Covid-19 disease and its rapid infection, the imposition of restrictions, and the high mortality had many negative effects on the psychological and social aspects of bereaved families. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of group counseling to deal with grief caused by Covid-19 regarding mournful women in Yazd.
 Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The statistical population consisted of women with grief experience over losing their husbands due to Covid-19 in 2021. Through available sampling method, 30 participants were selected and randomly divided into experimental and control groups. Data was collected through Grief Experience Questionnaire (GEQ) by Barrett and Scott (1998). Moreover, the package of confrontation with mourning, a lived experience of mourning women in Yazd (Kalantari et al., 2021), was performed on the experimental group for ten 90-minute sessions. Covariance with repeated measurements and SPSS version 26 software were used in data analysis.
 Results: The research findings showed that the average score of grief experience in the experimental group was significantly lower than control group in posttest droup (p<0.001). Group training and intervention program could improve mourning experience in the experimental group compared to the control group in bereaved women.
 Conclusion: Educational intervention based on lived experience of mourning women in Yazd can be used as one of the effective methods to improve mourning experience.

Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of the Inventory of Complicated Grief.

The aim of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Inventory Complicated Grief (ICG) including reliability, validity and factorial structure. In this cross-sectional study, 332 women and men bereaved at least 6 months from the adult population of Iran. The results showed Cronbach's alpha was found to be 0.94 for the scales overall score. Inventory Complicated Grief found a positive and significant correlation between the beck depression inventory (BDI) (r = .62, p < .001) and grief experience questionnaire (r = .74, p < .001). Still, he also found that there was a negative correlation between adult hope scale (r = -.44, p < .001). Furthermore, the results of the EFA result showed four factors on this scale. Overall, ICG showed good reliability and validity in Iranian population and it could be applied for assessing their Complicated Grief.

Grief Experience After Deaths: Comparison of Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 Causes.

The grief caused by loved ones’ death causes grief is a global phenomenon. The Covid-19 pandemic caused significant changes in human lifestyles and the experience of grief. The purpose of the present study was to compare grief experiences in the deceased's relatives caused by Covid-19 and non-Covid-19. Seventy-five first- and second-degree relatives of the deceased infected with Covid-19 (n = 33) and non-Covid-19 (n = 42) in a Gorgan hospital in northern Iran were included cross-sectional study using convenience sampling. Data were collected using the GEQ-34 grief experience questionnaire and demographic variables and questions related to funeral and burial. The results revealed that the deceased's burial quality caused by the Covid-19 group was significantly lower (p = 0.035). However, the feeling of the Covid-19 label is significantly higher (p <0.001). There was no significant variation in grief's broad experience between the two groups (P > 0.05). Nevertheless, the experience of grief was significantly different in the group of relatives of the deceased infected by Covid-19 in terms of notoriety (P = 0.040) and physical reactions (p = 0.002). Educational interventions to reduce stigma and discrimination due to death caused by Covid-19 and clinical and psychological support of relatives of the deceased due to Covid-19 are recommended by compiling appropriate messages from different channels.

Investigating the severity of the grief experience among people whose family members died of COVID-19

Background &amp; Objectives: COVID-19 has made the grief process more complicated and brought about loads of unexpressed grief. This study aimed at determining the severity of grief reactions due to the death of a first-degree relative (FDR) affected by COVID-19. Methods: This analytic cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the grief score of people over 18 years old with the experience of losing one of their FDRs (i.e. father, mother, and siblings) because of COVID-19. Convenience sampling was employed to gather the data. The instrument used in this study was the Grief Experience Questionnaire (GEQ-34) that was filled in through phone calls. The inclusion criteria included the tendency to participate in the study, age of over 18, and the experience of FDR’s death. On the other hand, the exclusion criteria were severe discomfort and restlessness while talking on the phone. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression were employed to diagnose the factors affecting grief, using SPSS version 22 with a significance level of 0.05. Results: The findings indicated that the mean score of GEQ was 67.22±19.24, ranging from 34 to 126. In this study, 54.5% of the bereaved had an experience of low-level grief, 40.2% moderately experienced the grief, and 5.3% were highly affected. There was a positive relationship between the gender of the mourners, widows, or widowers with the grief score, while a negative relationship was observed between being an employed mourner as well as the age of the dead person with the grief score. Conclusion: COVID-19 pandemic has brought about quite a lot of changes in the social and economic situation; mourning condition has become a complicated challenge. To facilitate the grief process and prevent psychological problems, it is recommended that some changes take place in this process. For example, online memorials, and online meetings of mourning can replace the traditional ones. Television, mass media, and clergymen can play a great role in making these changes in funeral rituals.

The Effect of Distress Tolerance and Emotional Self-Regulation on Complicated Grief with the Mediating Role of Social Support in Survivors of Kermanshah Earthquake

Background: Bereavement is a person's response to loss that has a physical, psychological, or social aspect. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the effect of distress tolerance and emotional self-regulation on complicated grief with the mediating role of social support.Methods: The research method was descriptive and the research design was a structural equation modeling. The statistical population consisted of all survivors of the Kermanshah earthquake who are suffering from complicated grief in 2019 and are selected by convenience sampling method. Data obtained by Grief Experience Questionnaire (GEQ), Social Support Scale (MOS-SSS), Emotional self-regulation questionnaire and Distress Tolerance Questionnaire. Data were analyzed by the Pearson correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling using SPSS.22 and PLS2-SMART software. Results: The results of this study showed that the relationship between the variables of the study was significant, and distress tolerance, self-regulation, and social support have the ability to predict complicated grief (p <0.001). Also, social support has the mediating variable between distress tolerance and emotional self-regulation on complicated grief (p <0.001).Conclusion: According to the results of this study, earthquake survivors should be able to control the tolerance of grief after the earthquake by increasing their distress tolerance and emotional self-regulation and with social support from others.

Suicide and sudden death bereavement in Australia: A longitudinal study of family members over 2 years after death.

Grief reactions change over time. However, only a limited number of studies, and none in Australia, have analysed changes in individual grief reactions longitudinally. The aim is to examine changes in grief reactions, mental health and suicidality of close family members bereaved by suicide, 6, 12 and 24 months after their loss compared with those bereaved by other forms of sudden death, adjusting for confounding factors. Participants were 142 adult family members bereaved by suicide and 63 by other sudden death, followed up at 6, 12 and 24 months in Queensland, Australia. The Grief Experience Questionnaire, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale and Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation were used as main outcomes. Mixed-effects linear and logistic regressions were utilized for statistical analyses. There were significant differences in rejection, stigmatization, shame and responsibility between the suicide and sudden death bereaved over the 2-year period, after adjusting for potential confounding factors. Rejection, stigmatization, search for explanation, somatic reactions and symptoms of depression and anxiety (Depression Anxiety Stress Scale) declined significantly over time in both groups. Rejection and somatic reactions showed group-by-time interaction effects, with a decrease in the suicide bereaved and no change in the sudden death bereaved. Loss of social support and suicidal ideation did not show a group or time effect. Although our findings confirm that there are several common dimensions to experiencing a sudden death of a family member, several differences were found between the suicide and non-suicide sudden death bereaved including significantly higher levels of rejection, stigmatization, shame and responsibility remaining in the suicide compared to sudden death bereaved 2 years after their loss. These findings should be considered in clinical practice and when designing postvention services in Australia.

Pet Loss: Understanding Disenfranchised Grief, Memorial Use, and Posttraumatic Growth

ABSTRACTThe growing body of literature exploring pet loss suggests that many bereaved pet owners experience disenfranchised grief. Disenfranchised grief occurs when a loss is unacknowledged and the bereaved are unable to express their grief. When grief is considered illegitimate, the bereaved may experience a variety of adverse psychological outcomes, including increased distress and reduced quality of life. Additionally, when grief is inhibited, the individual may be less likely to experience positive changes such as posttraumatic growth. Few studies have considered the relationship between disenfranchisement and posttraumatic growth following the loss of a companion animal. This study investigated the relationship between disenfranchised grief, memorialization, and posttraumatic growth in bereaved pet owners. Grief severity was assessed as a moderator. Using an online survey, respondents (n = 133) completed standardized measures, including the Pet Bereavement Questionnaire, the Loss of Social Support subscale from the Grief Experience Questionnaire, and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory-Short Form (PTGI-SF). As hypothesized, there was a significant interaction between disenfranchised grief, grief severity, and posttraumatic growth, suggesting that disenfranchised grief inhibits posttraumatic growth when grief severity is high. Contrary to the hypothesis, there was no relationship between memorial quantity or type and posttraumatic growth. Overall, this study shows that disenfranchised grief can inhibit posttraumatic growth following the loss of a pet, highlighting the complicated relationship between posttraumatic growth, grief intensity, and disenfranchised grief.

Suicide and other sudden death bereavement of immediate family members: An analysis of grief reactions six-months after death

IntroductionWhile suicide bereavement has been assumed to be different from bereavement following death by other modes, a number of studies have reported that there are several similarities, particularly for violent deaths. The aims of the current study are to test, using confirmatory factor analysis, the factor structure of Grief Experience Questionnaire (GEQ) that has been proposed in other studies; and to compare short term grief reactions, mental health, and suicidality six-months after bereavement in close family members bereaved by suicide versus sudden death. MethodsParticipants were 142 adults who were bereaved following a suicide and 63 who were bereaved following the sudden death of a family member. Data were collected six-months after the death. ResultsAnalyses did not show good fits for the factor structures proposed for the GEQ in earlier studies. However, a relatively good fit was found for an 8-factor version of the originally proposed GEQ. Bereavement type (suicide vs. sudden death) significantly predicted rejection, somatic reactions, stigmatisation, responsibility and shame on the GEQ, after adjusting for kinship type, gender, age, pre-bereavement diagnosis of mental illness and self-harm behaviours of both the deceased and the bereaved, and current mental health and suicidal ideation of the bereaved. LimitationsDifferent recruitment methods were used and response rates were relatively low. ConclusionsThe new knowledge of bereaved experiences specific to suicide loss at six-months post death, should be channelled into determining the most practical and satisfactory ways to alleviate the impacts of these potentially changeable states of experience.

Suicide bereavement: piloting a longitudinal study in Australia

ObjectivesThe pilot study were (1) to test the technical and administrative feasibility of a full-scale study, including recruitment process, response and retention rate, questionnaire design for an investigation to improve...

Perceived Stigma of Sudden Bereavement as a Risk Factor for Suicidal Thoughts and Suicide Attempt: Analysis of British Cross-Sectional Survey Data on 3387 Young Bereaved Adults.

The sudden death of a friend or relative, particularly by suicide, is a risk factor for suicide. People who experience sudden bereavement report feeling highly stigmatised by the loss, potentially influencing access to support. We assessed whether perceived stigma following sudden bereavement is associated with suicidal thoughts and suicide attempt. We analysed cross-sectional survey data on 3387 young adults bereaved by the sudden death of a close contact. We tested the association of high versus low perceived stigma (on the stigma sub-scale of the Grief Experience Questionnaire) with post-bereavement suicidal ideation and suicide attempt, using random effects logistic regression, adjusting for socio-demographic factors, pre-bereavement psychopathology, and mode of sudden bereavement (natural causes/unnatural causes/suicide). Subjects with high perceived stigma scores were significantly more likely to report post-bereavement suicidal thoughts (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.74; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.93–3.89) and suicide attempt (AOR = 2.73; 95% CI = 2.33–3.18) than those with low stigma scores. People who feel highly stigmatised by a sudden bereavement are at increased risk of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempt, even taking into account prior suicidal behaviour. General practitioners, bereavement counsellors, and others who support people bereaved suddenly, should consider inquiring about perceived stigma, mental wellbeing, and suicidal thoughts, and directing them to appropriate sources of support.

The stigma perceived by people bereaved by suicide and other sudden deaths: A cross-sectional UK study of 3432 bereaved adults

ObjectiveTo test the hypothesis that perceived stigma scores in young adults bereaved by suicide are significantly higher than in young adults bereaved by other sudden deaths, whether blood-related to the deceased or not. MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study of all staff and students aged 18–40 at 37 UK higher educational institutions in 2010, and identified 3432 respondents who had experienced a sudden bereavement of a close contact since reaching the age of 10, either due to sudden natural causes, sudden unnatural causes, or suicide. We used multivariable regression to compare scores on the stigma, shame, responsibility and guilt subscales of the Grief Experience Questionnaire, adjusting for socio-demographic factors and pre-bereavement psychopathology. ResultsPeople bereaved by suicide (n=614) had higher stigma scores than people bereaved by sudden natural death (n=2106; adjusted coefficient=2.52; 95% CI=2.13–2.90; p=<0.001) and people bereaved by sudden unnatural death (n=712; adjusted coefficient=1.69; 95% CI=1.25–2.13; p=<0.001). Shame, responsibility and guilt scores were also significantly higher in people bereaved by suicide, whether compared with bereavement by sudden natural death or sudden unnatural death. Associations were not modified by whether the bereaved was blood-related to the deceased or not. ConclusionsStigma was perceived more acutely by the relatives and friends of those who died by suicide than those bereaved by other causes of sudden natural or sudden unnatural death. Their high levels of perceived stigma, shame, responsibility and guilt require qualitative investigation to identify whether these grief dimensions limit social functioning, help-seeking behaviour and/or support offered.

Grief Experiences and Expectance of Suicide

Suicide is generally viewed as an unexpected cause of death. However, some suicides might be expected to a certain extent, which needs to be further studied. The relationships between expecting suicide, feeling understanding for the suicide, and later grief experiences were explored. In total, 142 bereaved participants completed the Grief Experience Questionnaire and additional measurements on expectance and understanding. Results supported the prediction of a link between expecting suicide and understanding the suicide. Higher expectance and understanding were related to less searching for explanation and preoccupation with the suicide. There was no direct association with other grief experiences. We conclude that more attention should be brought to the relation between expecting the suicide of a loved one and later grief responses in research and in clinical practice.

A Comparison of Grief Reactions in Cancer, HIV/AIDS, and Suicide Bereavement

This study compared the grief reactions of people who mourned three different types of death: Cancer, HIV/AIDS, and suicide, and addressed the question whether these bereavement groups can be differentiated on the basis of their grief, as measured by the Grief Experience Questionnaire (GEQ; Barrett & Scott, 1989). The results indicate that these groups (cancer: N = 50, AIDS-related: N = 50, and suicide: N = 50) had different grief reactions, specifically, in the areas of stigmatization and unique reactions to suicide. The implications of these results afford grief counselors, health-care providers, and pastoral professionals, intervention strategies that enfranchise people, who may experience one of these types of deaths, to work through their grief. Furthermore, this understanding of specific grief characteristics can also be assimilated into a therapist's preferred bereavement paradigm, for example, stages of grief(Kiibler-Ross, 1969), phases of bereavement(Parkes, 1972), or tasks of mourning(Worden, 2004).

The grief experiences and needs of bereaved relatives and friends of older people dying through suicide: a descriptive and case-control study

Background: Little is known about grief experiences of individuals bereaved through suicide of older people. Legal procedures may be one source of distress. Studies have suggested that guilt feelings, and a sense of rejection, shame or stigma, are probably more frequent in relatives bereaved through suicide than in those bereaved through other modes of death. Methods: We examined (a) problems experienced during legal procedures after death and (b) grief experiences, in 85 relatives and friends bereaved through the suicide of person 60 years old or over. In a case-control study the bereavement reactions in a subgroup of 46 people were compared with those of a control group bereaved by the natural death of an older person. Interviews, carried out 6–21 months after the deaths, included a semi-structured assessment of problems following the death, the Grief Experience Questionnaire (GEQ) and the Montgomery and Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). Results: Thirty-six (42.4%) of those bereaved through suicide reported problems in their dealings with the coroner’s office, and 33 (38.8%) described distress caused by media reporting of the inquest. Depression scores were similar in the group of individuals bereaved through suicide and those bereaved through natural causes. The former scored higher on subscales of the GEQ measuring stigmatisation, shame, sense of rejection and “unique reactions” compared with those bereaved through natural death. Limitations: The participation rate of potential subjects was somewhat low, especially in the control group. Proportions of different kinships to the deceased differed in the study and control groups. Conclusions: Problems in the media reporting of coroners’ inquests and in inquest procedures are a frequent source of distress for bereaved relatives. The common themes of stigma, shame, and sense of rejection in bereavement after suicide suggest that these areas should be specifically addressed in the counselling of relatives bereaved in this way.

FACTOR STRUCTURE OF THE GRIEF EXPERIENCE QUESTIONNAIRE (GEQ)

The Grief Experience Questionnaire (GEQ; T. W. Barrett & T. B. Scott, 1989) is a self-report measure of grief responses, including some that have been associated with grief after a suicide (e.g., feelings of rejection, responsibility, shame, stigmatization, etc.). In this study, a sample of 350 university students who had experienced the death of a significant other completed the GEQ. A principal components analysis with varimax rotation yielded an 8-factor solution with satisfactory psychometric properties. Results clearly document that the GEQ is a multidimensional measure of grief phenomenology. It is concluded that although the GEQ has broad applicability, the scale as revised herein may have a special relevance to suicide bereavement, and may be of use in both research and clinically based applications.

The return to the sacred path: Healing the historical trauma and historical unresolved grief response among the lakota through a psychoeducational group intervention

This article, based on research conducted with Lakota human service providers, concludes that the Lakota (Teton Sioux) suffer from impaired grief of an enduring and pervasive quality. Impaired grief results from massive cumulative trauma associated with such cataclysmic events as the assassination of Sitting Bull, the Wounded Knee Massacre, and the forced removal of Lakota children to boarding schools. The research studied a culturally syntonic four‐day psychoeducational intervention designed to initiate a grief resolution process for a group of 45 Lakota human service providers. The methodology included assessment at three intervals: (a)apre‐ and post‐test, utilizing a Lakota Grief Experience Questionnaire andthe semantic differential, (b) a self report evaluation instrument at the end of the intervention, and (c) a six‐week follow‐up questionnaire. The results confirmed the hypotheses that: (a) education about historical trauma would lead to increased awareness of the impact and associated grief related affects of the traumatic Lakota history, (b) sharing these affects with other Lakota in a traditional context would provide cathartic relief, and (c) grief resolution would be initiated, including a reduction in grief affects, more positive identity, and a commitment to individual and community healing.

Development of the Grief Experience Questionnaire.

The development of the Grief Experience Questionnaire (GEQ) is reported. This questionnaire is an instrument for measuring various components of grief, including somatic reactions, general grief reactions, search for explanation, loss of social support, stigmatization, guilt, responsibility, shame, rejection, self-destructive behavior, and reactions to a unique form of death. Initial results with the GEQ suggest its potential to differentiate grief reactions experienced by suicide survivors from those experienced by survivors of accidental death, unexpected natural death, and expected natural death. Conclusions support its use in redressing common methodological criticisms of suicide survivor research. Six additional benefits derived from use of this instrument are discussed.