ICD-11 prolonged grief disorder: Factors, correlates, and functional impairment

Abstract

The International Prolonged Grief Disorder Scale (IPGDS) assesses Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) according to the International Classification of Diseases 11th edition criteria, yet its latent structure remains debated. This study examined (a) the factor structure of PGD through the IPGDS, (b) the correlates of its factors, and (c) their potential association with functional impairment. We employed exploratory structural equation modeling and confirmatory factor analysis on data from a large, representative Spanish community sample of 947 bereaved adults. Results revealed three factors: Loss, Emotional Reactivity, and Emotional Disengagement. Sex and the age of the bereaved were positively associated with Loss. The deceased’s age and time since bereavement were negatively associated with Emotional Reactivity and Emotional Disengagement. Only Emotional Disengagement was significantly associated with functional impairment. In this large, representative Spanish community sample, findings suggest that PGD symptoms are multidimensional, supporting results from other countries and other data analytic treatments.