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Predictors of Prolonged Grief, Resilience, and Recovery Among Bereaved Spouses
Author(s) -
Mancini Anthony D.,
Sinan Beyza,
Bonanno George A.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/jclp.22224
Subject(s) - psychology , grief , distress , complicated grief , clinical psychology , psychological resilience , developmental psychology , multivariate statistics , psychotherapist , statistics , mathematics
Objective Most reactions to loss can be characterized by three prototypical trajectories of resilience, gradual recovery, and chronic distress (Bonanno, [Bonanno, G. A., 2004]). However, research on the factors that uniquely predict these trajectories of response has been limited. We examined theoretically relevant predictors of each of the trajectory patterns. Method We assessed 115 bereaved spouses at 1.5 to 3 years postloss and 74 married controls. To identify grief trajectory, we provided bereaved participants with a graphical depiction of the trajectories and asked them to select the one that best described their experience. Results Group comparisons revealed substantial differences between resilient and prolonged grievers, and almost no differences between resilient and married controls. Multivariate analyses indicated that prolonged grief, when compared to resilience, was uniquely associated with maladaptive dependency traits, difficulty accessing positive memories of the deceased, and higher recalled marital adjustment. Conclusion The present results extend our understanding of factors associated with distinct trajectories of adjustment after loss.