Parental death in young adults with divorced compared to non-divorced parents: The effect on prolonged grief and mental health

Death Stud. 2021;45(6):437-450. doi: 10.1080/07481187.2019.1648337. Epub 2019 Aug 10.

Abstract

This cross-sectional survey compares the risk of mental health problems like poor well-being, complicated and prolonged grief, and mental disorders between young adults experiencing a divorced or non-divorced parent's death. 190 participants were recruited from Facebook via the Danish National Center for Grief. Well-being was measured using WHO-5, prolonged grief using PG-13 and complicated grief using BGQ, and common mental disorders using CMDQ. Findings confirmed deleterious effects on mental health in young adults experiencing parental death, but higher risk, when losing a divorced parent compared to a non-divorced parent, was associated to prolonged grief, complicated grief, bodily distress syndrome, and alcohol misuse.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Divorce*
  • Grief
  • Humans
  • Mental Health
  • Parental Death*
  • Parents
  • Young Adult