Quality of life of older adults with complicated grief: A thematic analysis

Abstract

Approximately 15% of the general population has complicated grief (CG). Understanding how older adults with CG describe their quality of life (QOL) is crucial to healthcare workers especially in hospice and mental health settings. Four themes for QOL emerged from the thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews. From highest to lowest endorsement, they were Mental Function (sub-themes: mental health, joy, and happiness), Self-management (sub-themes: self-efficacy and self-agency), Social Support, and Physical Function. This study provides new information related to the relationships between CG and QOL among older adults. Multidimensional aspects of QOL can provide insight into delivering individualized patient- and family-centered care.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank colleague Dr. Kevin Kip, co-principal investigator.

Disclosure statement

The authors have nothing to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health under award number [R21AG056584].