Loss related risk factors of prolonged grief symptoms.

Introduction: Prolonged grief disorder is for the first time included in the International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision. There is a need to establish risk factors that would help clinicians identify people at risk for prolonged grief. It is especially important to understand how the circumstances of the death of a loved one might affect the risk for prolonged grief. Objectives: The aim of the study was to explore which factors related to the loss of a loved one were associated with prolonged grief symptoms severity. Methods: A total of 216 bereaved adults, 186 (86.1%) women, participated in the study. The participants' average age was 39.46 years, ranging from 18 to 92. Time since the loss ranged from 6 to 72months. The Prolonged Grief Disorder-13 questionnaire (PG-13) and questions about the circumstances related to the death of a loved one were used in the study. Results: Regression analysis revealed that female gender, older age, less time since the loss, unexpectedness of the death, and closeness and previous conflicts with the bereaved predicted higher prolonged grief symptoms. The age of the bereaved, illness before the death, being a primary caregiver, living with the deceased, being together during the time of death, and a non-violent death did not predict the severity of prolonged grief symptoms. Conclusions: The results of the study showed that the relationship with the deceased, demographics, unexpectedness of the death and the time since the loss are important predictors of prolonged grief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]