Resilience and Grief-Related Functional Impairment in Paraguayan Adults With Recent Significant Loss: A...

Bereavement is a common life experience that can lead to diverse psychological outcomes, ranging from adaptive coping to significant functional impairment. While resilience has been identified as a key factor in psychological adaptation after loss, the relationship between resilience and grief-related functional impairment remains insufficiently explored in many cultural contexts, particularly in Latin America. This study examined the association between resilience and grief-related functional impairment in Paraguayan adults who had experienced a recent significant loss.

A cross-sectional study was conducted using a non-probabilistic convenience sample of 215 Paraguayan adults aged 18-40 years. Data were collected through an online questionnaire including sociodemographic variables and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-25). Participants who reported the loss of a significant person during the previous two years additionally completed the Grief Impairment Scale and contextual questions related to the loss. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariable analyses were performed using RStudio.

Overall, 59.5% of participants reported having experienced a significant loss within the previous two years. Mean resilience scores did not differ significantly between individuals with and without recent loss (p = 0.773). Within the bereaved subsample (n = 128), resilience was significantly associated with educational level (p = 0.020) and religiosity (p = 0.027). Grief-related functional impairment was associated with sex (p = 0.048), type of relationship with the deceased (p = 0.035), time since loss (p = 0.023), perceived social support (p = 0.049), and psychotropic medication use (p = 0.016). Multivariable models confirmed educational level and religiosity as predictors of resilience.

Resilience scores did not differ significantly between individuals with and without recent bereavement at the time of assessment, even among individuals experiencing functional difficulties related to grief. Contextual factors such as religiosity and social support appear to play an important role in shaping bereavement outcomes. These findings highlight the importance of assessing both adaptive psychological resources and functional impairment in the evaluation of grief.