Posttraumatic Stress Disorder After Bereavement: Early Psychological Sequelae of Losing a Close Relative Due to Terminal Cancer

Abstract

Very few studies have investigated posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a consequence of bereavement from terminal illness. Therefore, knowledge on the traumatizing effects of bereavement and risk factors for traumatization from bereavement is rather sparse. This study investigated prevalence and predictors of PTSD in a group of people who had recently lost a close relative due to incurable cancer. The participants were 132 persons who were assessed with the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, the Trauma Symptom Checklist, and the Crisis Support Scale. One month after the loss, 29.5% of the subjects had clinical PTSD and an additional 26.2% reached a subclinical PTSD level. Negative affectivity, social support, and locus of control in relation to the loss predicted 57% of the variance in PTSD severity. A focus on these risk factors in early assessment after bereavement will help identify subjects at risk for developing PTSD as a result of bereavement.

Acknowledgments

This article is a result of Tina Edstoft Kristensen's master thesis conducted under the supervision of Ask Elklit. The authors wish to express their gratitude to the individuals who took the time and effort to participate in the current study while going through the pain of bereavement. Furthermore, they would like to thank the Palliative Care Team in Funen, Denmark, for their goodwill and collaboration on the study.

Notes

Note. HTQ = Harvard Trauma Questionnaire. Results for scales are Pearson r values; results for dichotomous variables (and relationship and locality) are F ratios.

^a A significant difference between groups was detected. However, due to the small n in each group, there is a great amount of uncertainty in these differences, and the result was therefore not pursued.

*p < .05; **p < .01; ***p < .005; ****p < .001.

*p < .05; **p < .01; ***p < .005.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tina Edstoft Kristensen

Tina Edstoft Kristensen obtained her master of science in psychology from the University of Aarhus in 2010. She is currently working as a clinical neuropsychologist.

Ask Elklit

Ask Elklit is a professor in clinical psychology at the University of Southern Denmark and head of the Danish National Centre for Psychotraumatology. He has conducted research in the field of psychotraumatology and several studies on various trauma populations.

Karen-Inge Karstoft

Karen-Inge Karstoft obtained her master of science in psychology from the University of Copenhagen in 2010. She is employed as a research assistant at the National Centre for Psychotraumatology and has recently commenced a PhD within the psychotraumatological area.