TY - JOUR
T1 - The Paths of Adjustment to Loss
T2 - Prolonged Grief Disorder and Posttraumatic Growth
AU - Ferreira de Almeida, Margarida
AU - Costa, Joana
AU - Martins, Catarina
AU - Larcher Almeida, Maria
AU - Ramos, Catarina
AU - Coelho, Alexandra
AU - Leal, Isabel
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2025. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - The (in)ability to accept and find meaning in the loss of a loved one can lead to the development of prolonged grief disorder (PGD), a return to normal level of functioning, or posttraumatic growth (PTG). This study aims to examine the factors that can predict PGD and PTG, in order to understand the differences between these two paths of adjustment. 269 bereaved adults participated in completing a questionnaire on PGD, PTG, presence and search for meaning, spirituality, relationship quality, depression, and anxiety. Results show that there are common factors that positively predict both intense grief and posttraumatic growth, such as the impact of the event, spirituality, and a relationship of proximity. The final model explained 68% and 32% of the variance of symptoms of PGD and PTG, respectively. This study highlights the importance of examining PGD and PTG together to understand better what distinguishes an adaptive from a maladaptive adjustment to grief.
AB - The (in)ability to accept and find meaning in the loss of a loved one can lead to the development of prolonged grief disorder (PGD), a return to normal level of functioning, or posttraumatic growth (PTG). This study aims to examine the factors that can predict PGD and PTG, in order to understand the differences between these two paths of adjustment. 269 bereaved adults participated in completing a questionnaire on PGD, PTG, presence and search for meaning, spirituality, relationship quality, depression, and anxiety. Results show that there are common factors that positively predict both intense grief and posttraumatic growth, such as the impact of the event, spirituality, and a relationship of proximity. The final model explained 68% and 32% of the variance of symptoms of PGD and PTG, respectively. This study highlights the importance of examining PGD and PTG together to understand better what distinguishes an adaptive from a maladaptive adjustment to grief.
KW - bereavement
KW - complicated grief
KW - grief
KW - meaning
KW - personal growth
KW - spirituality
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105024433229
U2 - 10.1177/00302228251364697
DO - 10.1177/00302228251364697
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:105024433229
SN - 0030-2228
JO - Omega: Journal of Death and Dying
JF - Omega: Journal of Death and Dying
ER -