Unfinished business in suicide bereavement: Predicting prolonged grief, PTSD, depression, and guilt.

Unfinished business in bereavement is associated with symptoms of prolonged grief, grief-related distress and poorer adjustment to the loss. To date, no study has examined unfinished business exclusively in suicide loss survivors. The aim of this study is to address this gap by exploring unfinished business and its impact on psychopathological symptoms in individuals bereaved by suicide loss. A total of 127 suicide bereaved individuals completed a questionnaire that assessed unfinished business (UBBS), symptoms of prolonged grief (TGI-SR+), symptoms of (complex) post-traumatic stress (ITQ), depression (PHQ-9), and guilt (GEQ). Significant positive correlations were found between unfinished business and all assessed outcomes. Unfinished business as well as unresolved conflicts and unfulfilled wishes were significant predictors for symptoms of PGD, PTSD, cPTSD, depression and guilt. Including unfinished business in clinical interventions could be an essential component in the care of suicide loss survivors.