Bereavement versus health loss: the relationship of loss type with psychological growth

Only a few studies have focused on different kinds of loss other than bereavement. This study aims to examine the relationship between loss type (bereavement or health loss) and psychological growth. The sample including 116 participants with either bereavement or health loss was evaluated with Posttraumatic Growth Inventory and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. A linear regression analysis was performed in which the growth score was the dependent variable, and the depression severity, the presence of post-loss psychiatric treatment, loss type, age, sex, educational level, and time since loss were the independent variables. The lower depression severity, the type of loss being health, and the longer time since loss were found to be related to the increase in post-loss growth. The findings show that health loss may be a loss type that stimulates psychological growth, and its relationship with growth may even be stronger than that of bereavement.