摘要：Preliminary evidence suggests that bereavement through COVID-19-related deaths will be experienced as unexpected. The present study investigated the expectedness of bereavement when losing a parent or partner in a representative population-based sample as a risk factor for the development of prolonged grief disorder (PGD). Method: Out of a representative sample of the German general population (N = 2498), 419 participants (62% female, mean age 60.3±14.4 years) reported the loss of a partner (31%) or a parent at least one year ago (mean time since loss 10.7±9.7 years). Additional measures were prolonged grief symptoms (self-reported Prolonged Grief Disorder13-R) and ratings of the bereavement as expected (57.5%) or unexpected. The association of unexpectedness of bereavement with intense single symptoms of PGD DSM 5-TR (i.e. symptoms rated as “quite a bit” or “overwhelmingly present”) was investigated by χ2 -tests. Results: Unexpectedness of parental or spousal bereavement was significantly associated with a probable diagnosis of PGD (according to DSM 5-TR; χ2 (1) = 7.20, p = .009). All symptoms of PGD DSM 5-TR that were intensely present differed significantly between expected and unexpected bereavements (all χ2 > 4.15, all p < .05) except for yearning, preoccupation, and emotional pain. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the unexpectedness of spousal and parental COVID-19-related bereavement is likely to increase the prevalence of PGD. The representative data demonstrate that on a symptom level, unexpected bereavement will present differently from expected bereavement. Given that additional stressors accompany COVID-19- related bereavements (e.g., enforced isolation), future research is needed to adapt existing grief-specific treatments to target the resulting symptom pattern.
