Exploring the multidimensional aspects of grief reactions

The authors explored the multidimensional aspects of early grief reactions in 201 relatives and close friends of victims of accidental deaths, suicides, homicides, and sudden natural deaths. A principal components analysis of a grief reaction measure revealed four factors: depressive symptoms, preservation of the lost object, suicidal ideation, and decedent-directed anger. The authors suggest that certain features which have been associated mostly with pathological grief (e.g., difficulty relinquishing the lost object) may be present in many, if not most, of the general population during bereavement and that pathology may best be determined by measuring the frequency and intensity of these features.