Loss and grief in elderly people: Results from the LIFE-Adult-Study

We evaluated 2,865 elderly people to investigate the prevalence of prolonged grief disorder (PGD), examine predictors and mental health correlates. The conditional prevalence of PGD varied between 0.8% and 5.2% (diagnostic algorithm vs. cut-off). PG-13 scores were related to depressive symptoms, sleep disturbances, reduced life satisfaction, and quality of life. Predictors were female gender, less time since death, more losses, having lost a child, partner, or sibling, and less social support. PGD is associated with adverse mental health consequences. Practitioners should pay special attention to elderly women who lost a close loved one and lack social support.