Mental health in traumatically bereaved individuals: The role of loss-related, personal, interpersonal, and emotion regulation factors.

Abstract

The traumatic loss of a loved one is among the most common traumatic events worldwide and represents a public mental health concern. This study assessed the lifetime prevalence of such losses in a nationally representative sample of Icelandic adults. Among traumatically bereaved individuals in this sample (N = 1,002; 56.4% women, 43.6% men), a hierarchical structural equation model was used to examine loss-related, personal, interpersonal, and emotion regulation factors associated with psychological distress. The overall prevalence of exposure to traumatic loss was high (56.7%). Significant risk factors identified for psychological distress included being a woman, β = .084; a history of multiple losses; β = .090; and higher levels of anger control difficulties, β = .459. Conversely, older age, β = -.076; higher levels of educational attainment, β = -.100; more financial security, β = -.218; and higher social support, β = -.253, were identified as protective factors. These findings underscore the burden of traumatic loss and point to potential targets for mental health prevention efforts among bereaved individuals.