(PS6-B47) Evaluating If Pandemic Grief Risk Factors Significantly Predict Prolonged Grief Disorder in a Sample of Bereaved Individuals During COVID-19

Introduction

As of March 2022, there have been over 440 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide and approximately 6 million COVID-19 deaths. It is estimated, on average, each COVID-19 death left nine bereaved individuals who may grieve the loss. Based on this projection, there are approximately 54 million bereaved individuals due to COVID-19, some of which could experience prolonged grief disorder (PGD). Recent studies have postulated there are unique pandemic-specific risk factors for PGD such as increased isolation, feeling guilty about not being able to be there for the deceased, and lack of social support. Therefore, this study aimed to examine if pandemic-specific risk factors significantly predicted PGD in a sample of undergraduates who have lost a family member to COVID-19. 

Methods

The study sample consisted of 198 (M_age=19.29, SD=2.08) undergraduate students who endorsed losing a family member to COVID-19. The sample was predominately female (n=134, 67.7%) and most lost a grandparent (n=89, 45.9%), which we dichotomized to compare losing a grandparent to other types of losses (e.g., sibling). Participants completed the Prolonged Grief Disorder-Revised scale (PG-13-R;a=.95), and the Pandemic Grief Risk Factors questionnaire (PGRF; a=.88). The PGRF questionnaire examined pandemic-specific risk factors such as, “I felt upset that the deceased was not given a proper funeral or memorial service.”

Results

A total of 18 participants (9.1%) met criteria for PGD. A chi-square test revealed relationship to the deceased was a significant predictor of PGD diagnosis, such that individuals who lost a family member other than a grandparent were significantly more likely to have a PGD diagnosis (X² (1, N = 190) = 4.45, p < .05) than persons grieving the loss of a grandparent. A point-biserial correlation was run to determine the relationship between PGRF scores and a PGD diagnosis. PGRF scores were significantly related to PGD diagnosis (r_pb=.403, p< .001), such that individuals with higher PGRF scores are at significantly increased odds of having a PGD diagnosis (OR= 1.195; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.309; p < .001). A logistic regression was performed to ascertain the relationship between PGRF scores and PGD diagnosis when controlling for gender and relationship to the deceased. The logistic regression model was statistically significant, (χ2(3) = 36.36, p < .001) and explained 38.7% (Nagelkerke R2) of the variance in PGD diagnosis.

Discussion

The results of the current study indicate that pandemic-specific risk factors may help predict the development of PGD in individuals grieving the loss of a person to COVID-19. The unique aspects of losing a person to COVID-19 (e.g., not being able to give the deceased a proper funeral or memorial service) may result in individuals grieving this kind of loss to be at increased risk of developing PGD and other negative outcomes post-loss. Future studies are needed to further examine this relationship, but based off the results of the current study, clinicians should examine pandemic-specific risk factors for this population rather than relying solely on risk factors for PGD identified for other types of losses (e.g., violent loss).