| Popis: |
Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are the leading cause of death worldwide for young people aged 5-29 years (WHO, 2022). Parents of children who died in RTAs are at risk for psychological problems after the loss (Bolton et al., 2013). It is estimated that around 78-90% of parents who suddenly lost their child to an accident may develop prolonged grief disorder (PGD) (Choi & Cho, 2020; Dyregrov et al., 2003). PGD symptoms are characterized by intense yearning for, and a preoccupation with, the deceased, that endure for at least twelve months after the death. Furthermore, about 50% of parents that lost their child to an accident develops clinically-relevant symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after the loss (Choi & Cho, 2020; Dyregrov et al., 2003). While PGD is distinct from PTSD (e.g., Lenferink et al., 2021; O’Connor et al., 2010), studies have found that they often co-occur (Komischke-Konnerup et al., 2021). One limitation of these studies is that they use prevalence rates or symptom-level means. Mean-based analyses may not fully capture the unique subgroups that may exist within a population. Important individual differences in psychological problems after a loss may therefore be missed. Using a person-centered approach, such as a latent class analysis, the current study focuses on the identification of subgroups among bereaved parents with similar patterns of symptoms PGD and PTSD. Furthermore, factors that are associated with the different subgroups will be examined. |
