Prolonged Grief, Depression and Loneliness Among Chinese Bereaved College Students: A Latent Class Analysis

Bereavement may trigger a variety of psychological reactions, including prolonged grief disorder (PGD), depression, and loneliness. This study aimed to explore the co-occurrence patterns of these symptoms among Chinese bereaved university students. Using latent class analysis (LCA), four distinct classes were identified: a high symptom class (22.2%), a predominantly grief class (21.9%), a moderate symptom with prominent anhedonia class (23.3%), and a low symptom class (32.6%). Individuals with poorer physical condition, rural residence, unexpected loss, or lack of opportunity to say goodbye were more likely to belong to the high symptom class, whereas chronic disease-related loss was linked to lower odds of this membership. Additionally, the class membership significantly predicted functional impairment six months later (n = 159). Predominantly grief class (M = 11.61) and moderate symptom with prominent anhedonia class (M = 14.33) showed significantly higher impairment. These findings highlight the heterogeneity of bereavement responses and inform targeted interventions.