Grief and functional impairment following COVID-19 loss in a treatment-seeking sample: the mediating role of meaning
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented levels of grief and psychological distress in community samples. We examined unique pandemic grief risk factors, dysfunctional grief, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms, general psychiatric distress, disrupted meaning, and functional impair...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Published: |
2022
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/89242 |
| _version_ | 1848765186636251136 |
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| author | Breen, Lauren Lee, S.A. Mancini, Vincent O. Willis, M. Neimeyer, R.A. |
| author_facet | Breen, Lauren Lee, S.A. Mancini, Vincent O. Willis, M. Neimeyer, R.A. |
| author_sort | Breen, Lauren |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented levels of grief and psychological distress in community samples. We examined unique pandemic grief risk factors, dysfunctional grief, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms, general psychiatric distress, disrupted meaning, and functional impairment in a treatment-seeking sample of people bereaved from COVID-19 in the United Kingdom. A sample of 183 participants (91.80% female; M = 47.40 years) completed an online survey as part of an intake assessment for a grief support and referral service. Most reported clinically elevated PTSD symptoms (83.1%), psychiatric distress (64.0%), and functional impairment (56.8%). A smaller, but still concerning percentage (39.3%) reported clinically significant symptoms of dysfunctional grief. Disrupted meaning substantially mediated the relationship between risk factors and all four outcomes. Counsellors should address the breadth of psychological distress in those bereaved by COVID-19 and hone their skills in promoting meaning making in the wake of the trauma and loss generated by the pandemic. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:31:15Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-89242 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:31:15Z |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-892422023-07-20T03:13:24Z Grief and functional impairment following COVID-19 loss in a treatment-seeking sample: the mediating role of meaning Breen, Lauren Lee, S.A. Mancini, Vincent O. Willis, M. Neimeyer, R.A. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented levels of grief and psychological distress in community samples. We examined unique pandemic grief risk factors, dysfunctional grief, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms, general psychiatric distress, disrupted meaning, and functional impairment in a treatment-seeking sample of people bereaved from COVID-19 in the United Kingdom. A sample of 183 participants (91.80% female; M = 47.40 years) completed an online survey as part of an intake assessment for a grief support and referral service. Most reported clinically elevated PTSD symptoms (83.1%), psychiatric distress (64.0%), and functional impairment (56.8%). A smaller, but still concerning percentage (39.3%) reported clinically significant symptoms of dysfunctional grief. Disrupted meaning substantially mediated the relationship between risk factors and all four outcomes. Counsellors should address the breadth of psychological distress in those bereaved by COVID-19 and hone their skills in promoting meaning making in the wake of the trauma and loss generated by the pandemic. 2022 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/89242 10.1080/03069885.2022.2075540 fulltext |
| spellingShingle | Breen, Lauren Lee, S.A. Mancini, Vincent O. Willis, M. Neimeyer, R.A. Grief and functional impairment following COVID-19 loss in a treatment-seeking sample: the mediating role of meaning |
| title | Grief and functional impairment following COVID-19 loss in a treatment-seeking sample: the mediating role of meaning |
| title_full | Grief and functional impairment following COVID-19 loss in a treatment-seeking sample: the mediating role of meaning |
| title_fullStr | Grief and functional impairment following COVID-19 loss in a treatment-seeking sample: the mediating role of meaning |
| title_full_unstemmed | Grief and functional impairment following COVID-19 loss in a treatment-seeking sample: the mediating role of meaning |
| title_short | Grief and functional impairment following COVID-19 loss in a treatment-seeking sample: the mediating role of meaning |
| title_sort | grief and functional impairment following covid-19 loss in a treatment-seeking sample: the mediating role of meaning |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/89242 |