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A role for event centrality in prolonged grief disorder
Ruth Brookman1, Celia B Harris2, Maja O'Connor3,4,5
1The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia. ruth.brookman@westernsydney.edu.au.
Scientific Reports
|September 27, 2024
Summary
The centrality of a bereavement event to one's identity predicts prolonged grief disorder (PGD) symptoms over time. Maintaining a high centrality of the loss is a risk factor for persistent PGD, impacting psychological outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Bereavement Studies
- Mental Health
Background:
- Traumatic or negative events central to identity are linked to adverse psychological outcomes like post-traumatic stress, depression, and prolonged grief disorder (PGD).
- Limited research has investigated the specific role of bereavement event centrality in maintaining PGD symptoms, especially concerning changes over time and loss type.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of bereavement event centrality in the maintenance of PGD symptoms.
- To compare immediate and long-term changes in event centrality and examine the nature of the loss in bereaved individuals.
Main Methods:
- Data from bereaved partners and adult children were collected at four time points over 26 months post-loss.
- Participants completed measures for PGD symptoms and the Centrality of Events Scale (CES) at each time point.
Main Results:
- Bereaved partners reported higher PGD and CES scores than bereaved adult children across all measurement points.
- Sustained high CES scores over time significantly predicted PGD symptoms, independent of initial symptom severity.
- The nature of the loss (partner vs. adult child) influenced PGD and CES scores.
Conclusions:
- The continued centrality of a bereavement to an individual's life story and memory is a significant risk factor for maintaining PGD symptoms.
- Findings suggest shared mechanisms between PGD and post-traumatic stress disorder, with implications for theoretical models and treatment of prolonged grief.
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