Exploring the prevalence and predictors of prolonged grief disorder among children and adolescents bereaved by the 2023 earthquake in Turkey.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) in children and adolescents who experienced parental loss in the 2023 Turkey earthquake and to identify factors predicting the development of PGD. The study was designed as a prospective, longitudinal observational study. The final sample consisted of 147 children and adolescents. The Prolonged Grief Assessment-Child Version (PGA-C) was used to assess the severity of prolonged grief and normative grief symptoms. The Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale-Child Version was used to assess the severity of major depressive disorder (MDD) symptoms, and the Children's Revised Impact of Event Scale was used to assess the severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Data collection took place in two phases: The first phase occurred between June 16, 2023, and July 20, 2023, and the second phase was conducted between November 10, 2023, and November 20, 2023. The PGA-C was utilized in the latter assessment to evaluate the prevalence and severity of PGD. Nine months after the earthquake, 19.7% of participants met the diagnostic criteria for PGD. Multivariate regression analyses showed that the severity of MDD symptoms predicted PGD, OR = 1.14, p = .024, whereas both normative grief, B = 0.35, p = .005, and MDD symptom severity, B = 0.42, p = .028, significantly predicted PGD symptom severity. These findings suggest that early identification and treatment of MDD during bereavement may help mitigate the risk of later PGD development.