The Aarhus Bereavement Study - a Prospective Study on Natural and Prolonged Grief Reactions in the Adult Population
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Active, not recruiting
- Sponsor
- University of Aarhus
- Enrollment
- 1,243
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Prolonged grief
Study Overview
Brief Summary
Psychological distress is a natural reaction following the death of a loved one. Nevertheless, research has shown that for a significant minority of bereaved individuals the grieving process is disturbed. These individuals experience an intense grief reaction that persists across time characterized by longing for the deceased or persistent preoccupation with the deceased. It has been suggested that this intense, persistent grief reaction meets criteria to be considered a distinct mental disorder. Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) has been proposed to capture this condition and will be included in the forthcoming ICD-11. The proposed project aims to prepare healthcare services to use the diagnosis of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) by determining the frequency of PDG in a population sample of bereaved spouses and their adult children. It will also identify early predictors of PGD and trajectories of natural and prolonged grief as well as investigate the specificity of PGD in relation to other common loss-related reactions. Thus, the project will provide a prognostic tool to identify individuals with high versus low risk of developing PGD.
Detailed Description
BACKGROUND:
Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) is a new diagnosis that may occur after the death of a partner, parent, child, or other person close to the bereaved. PGD is characterized by a persistent and pervasive grief response including longing for the deceased or persistent preoccupation with the deceased accompanied by intense emotional pain (e.g. sadness, guilt, anger, denial, blame, difficulty accepting the death). The disorder has been admitted as an official diagnosis in the World Heath Organization's newest diagnostic manual (International Classification of Diseases, 11th revision; ICD-11). When introducing the diagnosis in ICD-11, health care services are obliged to identify and treat PGD.
PURPOSE AND AIMS:
The primary purpose of the study is to prepare healthcare services to use the diagnosis of PGD. More specifically, the project aims to determine the frequency and structure of PDG in a population sample of bereaved spouses and their adult children. It will also identify early predictors of PGD and common trajectories of natural and prolonged grief as well as investigate the specificity of PGD in relation to other common loss-related reactions. Finally, the project will also assess the socioeconomic costs of PGD by analyzing health data registries.
HYPOTHESES:
Study Design
- Study Type
- Observational
- Observational Model
- Cohort
- Time Perspective
- Prospective
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to 85 Years (Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- Not provided
Exclusion Criteria
- Not provided
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Prolonged grief
Time Frame: 2, 6, 11, 18, and 26 months post-loss
Changes in prolonged grief symptoms measured using the Prolonged Grief Disorder-13 (PG-13; Prigerson et al., 2009)
Complicated grief
Time Frame: 2, 6, 11, 18, and 26 months post-loss
Changes in complicated grief symptoms measured using the Inventory of Complicated Grief Revised (ICG-R; Prigerson \& Jacobs, 2001)
Secondary Outcomes
- Depression(2, 6, 11, 18, and 26 months post-loss)
- Generalized anxiety(2, 6, 11, 18, and 26 months post-loss)
- Well-being(2, 6, 11, 18, and 26 months post-loss)
- Mental and physical health(2, 18, and 26 months post-loss)
- Post-traumatic stress(2, 6, 11, 18, and 26 months post-loss)