Complicated grief, depression, and anxiety as distinct postloss syndromes: a confirmatory factor analysis study

Am J Psychiatry. 2005 Nov;162(11):2175-7. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.162.11.2175.

Abstract

Objective: The authors used confirmatory factor analysis to replicate earlier findings that complicated grief, depression, and anxiety are distinct syndromes.

Method: Data were derived from 1,321 bereaved individuals. Complicated grief was measured with the Inventory of Traumatic Grief. Depression and anxiety were measured with the SCL-90.

Results: A model in which symptoms of complicated grief, depression, and anxiety loaded on separate factors was superior to a one-factor model, revealed good model fit, and was invariant across subgroups.

Conclusions: Previous findings of a distinction among complicated grief, depression, and anxiety were confirmed.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anxiety Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Anxiety Disorders / psychology
  • Bereavement*
  • Cluster Analysis
  • Depressive Disorder / diagnosis*
  • Depressive Disorder / psychology
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Female
  • Grief*
  • Humans
  • Life Change Events
  • Male
  • Models, Statistical
  • Personality Inventory / statistics & numerical data
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / statistics & numerical data
  • Psychometrics
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Syndrome