Background: Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) is now included in Section II of the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, Text Revision (DSM-
5-TR). To understand the health burden and then allocate economic and professional
resources, it is necessary to provide epidemiological data for this new disorder. This
is especially relevant since the new diagnostic criteria differ from its predecessors,
which may affect the generalizability of previous findings. More information on the
characteristics of people suffering from PGD is also beneficial to better identify
individuals at risk. This study, therefore, aimed to estimate the prevalence of the new
PGD criteria in a representative population-based sample, evaluate the factor structure,
sociodemographic, and loss-related correlates of PGD caseness and explore possible
predictors.
Methods: Out of a representative sample of the German general population (N = 2,531),
n = 1,371 (54.2%) reported to have experienced a significant loss throughout lifetime.
Participants provided sociodemographic data and loss-related characteristics. PGD
symptoms were measured using items from the German versions of the Prolonged Grief
Scale (PG-13) and the Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG), which could be matched to
the DSM-5-TR criteria for PGD.
Results: The conditional prevalence of PGD was 3.4% (n = 47). The most frequently
reported symptoms were intense emotional pain and intense yearning or longing for
the deceased. The confirmatory factor analysis confirmed a unidimensional model of
PGD. Regression analysis demonstrated that time since the death, the relationship to
the deceased, and unpreparedness for the death were significant predictors of PGD.
Conclusion: Although the prevalence of 3.4% using the new diagnostic criteria is
lower than the prevalence previously suggested by a meta-analysis, PGD remains a
substantial disorder in the general population. In particular, the loss of a partner or
child increases the risk for PGD, as does unpreparedness for the death of a loved one. Clinicians should pay particular attention to these high-risk groups. Further clinical implications are discussed.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:DRESDEN/oai:qucosa:de:qucosa:87398 |
| Date | 12 October 2023 |
| Creators | Treml, Julia, Brähler, Elmar, Kersting, Anette |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| Source Sets | Hochschulschriftenserver (HSSS) der SLUB Dresden |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion, doc-type:article, info:eu-repo/semantics/article, doc-type:Text |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| Relation | 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.880380 |
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