Prevalence and psychological correlates of complicated grief among bereaved adults 2.5-3.5 years after September 11th attacks

J Trauma Stress. 2007 Jun;20(3):251-62. doi: 10.1002/jts.20223.

Abstract

A Web-based survey of adults who experienced loss during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks was conducted to examine the prevalence and correlates of complicated grief (CG) 2.5-3.5 years after the attacks. Forty-three percent of a study group of 704 bereaved adults across the United States screened positive for CG. In multivariate analyses, CG was associated with female gender, loss of a child, death of deceased at the World Trade Center, and live exposure to coverage of the attacks on television. Posttraumatic stress disorder, major depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and increase in post-9/11 smoking were common among participants with CG. A majority of the participants with CG reported receiving grief counseling and psychiatric medication after 9/11. Clinical and policy implications are discussed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Psychological
  • Adult
  • Anxiety Disorders / diagnosis
  • Anxiety Disorders / epidemiology*
  • Anxiety Disorders / psychology
  • Bereavement*
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Depressive Disorder, Major / diagnosis
  • Depressive Disorder, Major / epidemiology*
  • Depressive Disorder, Major / psychology
  • Female
  • Grief*
  • Health Surveys
  • Humans
  • Internet
  • Male
  • Mass Screening
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Patient Acceptance of Health Care / statistics & numerical data
  • Personality Inventory
  • September 11 Terrorist Attacks*
  • Smoking / epidemiology
  • Smoking / psychology
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Statistics as Topic
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / diagnosis
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / epidemiology*
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / psychology
  • Suicide / psychology
  • United States