Prevalence and risk factors of prolonged grief disorder among bereaved survivors seven years after the Wenchuan earthquake in China: A cross-sectional study.
Xin Yi, Jing Gao, Chenxi Wu and 4 others
PMID 31406818WHAT IT FOUND
Seven years after the Wenchuan earthquake, 8.47% of bereaved survivors still met criteria for prolonged grief disorder.
Risk was significantly higher in those aged 41-60, with economic burdens, close kinship to the deceased, or who lived with them before death.
Key findings
01The prevalence of prolonged grief disorder among bereaved survivors seven years post-earthquake was 8.47%.
02Independent risk factors for prolonged grief disorder included age 41-60 years, economic burden, close kinship with the deceased, and living with the deceased before loss.
03Bereaved individuals who lost a child or spouse and did not rebuild their family or marriage had significantly higher rates of prolonged grief disorder than those who did.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study used a cross-sectional design, so it can only identify associations, not causation. Sampling was limited to three severely affected towns in China, which may not generalize to other disaster contexts or cultures. The PG-13 diagnosis was made by clinical psychologists, but the study did not report inter-rater reliability for the diagnosis. Self-report measures may be subject to recall bias or social desirability bias.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicting interests. The work was supported by funding from the Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that a low overall prevalence rate (8.47%) means most bereaved individuals are fine. This study identifies specific high-risk subgroups, such as those with economic burdens or close kinship ties, who have significantly elevated odds of prolonged grief disorder and may require targeted intervention.