Correlates of prolonged grief symptoms after bereavement in a Turkish population-based sample

The aim of this study was to examine the risk factors for prolonged grief symptoms after bereavement in a population-based sample in Türkiye. Data were collected from 371 (M_age = 36.01), including 214 women (57.7%) and 157 men. Participants who had experienced the loss of a loved one at least 6 months before. Participants completed the International Trauma Questionnaire, the International Depression Questionnaire, the International Prolonged Grief Questionnaire and the Life Event Checklist. The results showed that 6.2% of the sample met the criteria for the ICD-11 PGD. In addition, regression analyses revealed that younger age, lower educational attainment, higher frequency of exposure to traumatic events and increased depression symptoms were significantly associated with PGD. These findings suggest that depression and cumulative trauma exposure play a key role in the development of PGD. Future research should examine PGD using longitudinal and cross-cultural approaches to refine our understanding of grief pathology and inform clinical interventions.