Longitudinal Intercorrelations between Complicated Grief and Posttraumatic Growth among Suicide Survivors

Abstract

Background

Suicide survivors are prone to elevated risk for several psychiatric and somatic complications, including complicated grief (CG) and depression. Recent studies have highlighted the possibility of posttraumatic growth (PTG) among suicide survivors. However, to date, no longitudinal study has focused on the relationships between CG and PTG among suicide survivors.

Aims

In this 18-month longitudinal design study, our goal was to investigate the longitudinal bidirectional associations between PTG and CG, as well as between PTG and depression among suicide survivors.

Method

Participants were156 suicide-loss survivors, aged 18–70, who completed questionnaires tapping the CG and PTG at T1 and again after 18 months (T2). Depression was measured only at T2.

Results

The integrated model showed that CG-T1 predicts a reduction in PTG-T2 levels, beyond the trajectory of PTG. Whereas PTG-T1 was negatively correlated with CG-T2 and with depression at T2, this path was only marginally significant in the model.

Limitations

Voluntary nature of the participants; self-report measures; lack of pre-suicide-loss assessment.

Conclusion

The study’s findings suggest that CG levels play an important role in facilitating PTG among suicide survivors, with high CG levels impeding the possibility of growth. PTG did not act as a coping strategy to reduce CG. Clinical and research implications are discussed.

Keywords:

• Complicated grief
• longitudinal
• posttraumatic growth
• suicide survivors

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This study is dedicated to my dearest friend, Dafni Assaf, who was one of the great leaders of the suicide prevention program in Israel.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), under Grant [PRG-2-083-14].

Notes on contributors

Yossi Levi-Belz

Yossi Levi-Belz, The Lior Tsfaty Center for Suicide and Mental Pain Studies, Ruppin Academic Center, Emek Hefer, Israel and Department of Behavioral Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center, Emek Hefer, Israel.