Validation of the Pandemic Grief Risk Factors and Its Relationship With Work-Related Stress and Grief Reaction Among Healthcare Workers Who Witnessed Patient Deaths

Abstract

Background: The Pandemic Grief Risk Factors (PGRFs) was developed as a self-report tool to compile a comprehensive list of unique risk factors related to grief when experiencing a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) loss. We explored the reliability and validity of the PGRF among healthcare workers who witnessed their patients' deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, we examined whether the general severity of PGRF may have been associated with work-related stress and pandemic grief reactions.

Methods: An online survey was conducted among tertiary hospital healthcare workers (doctors and nursing professionals) who had witnessed the deaths of patients they cared for. Pandemic Grief Scale for healthcare workers, the Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics-3 items, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 responses were collected.

Results: In total, 267 responses were analyzed. The single-factor structure of the Korean version of the PGRF showed a good fit for the model. The scale demonstrated good internal consistency and convergent validity with other depression and anxiety rating scales. The mediation analysis revealed that work-related stress directly influenced pandemic grief reactions positively, and depression, anxiety, and general severity of grief risk factors partially mediated the association positively.

Conclusion: Among healthcare workers who witnessed the deaths of their patients due to COVID-19, the Korean version of the PGRF was valid and reliable for measuring the overall severity of PGRF. The PGRF can be used to identify individuals at risk for dysfunctional grief.

Keywords: Anxiety; COVID-19; Death; Depression; Grief; Pandemics.