End-of-Life Communication and Adjustment: Pre-Loss Communication as a Predictor of Bereavement-Related Outcomes

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Although bereavement-related emotional distress usually remits on its own over time, approximately 20% of bereaved individuals experience chronic emotional difficulties following the loss (Prigerson & Jacobs, 2001 Prigerson , H. G. & Jacobs , S. C. ( 2001 ). Traumatic grief as a distinct disorder: A rationale, consensus criteria, and a preliminary empirical test . In M. S. Stroebe , R. O. Hansson , W. Stroebe , & H. Schut (Eds.), Handbook of bereavement research (pp. 613 – 645 ). Washington , DC : American Psychological Association. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]). Although several factors have been shown to be associated with poor outcomes post-loss, few studies have examined the relationship between pre-loss communication and bereavement-related depression, and none have examined its relationship to complicated grief. The present study examined how pre-loss communication between the bereaved and the deceased is related to post-loss outcomes within a sample of 60 members of online bereavement support groups. Results indicated that developing acceptance of an expected loss is strongly associated with bereavement outcomes. This finding persists even after controlling for relationship closeness and time elapsed post-loss.