Traumatic Grief as a Risk Factor for Mental and Physical Morbidity

The purpose of this study was to confirm & extend the authors’ previous work indicating that symptoms of traumatic grief are predictors of future physical & mental health outcomes. They studied 150 widows & widowers. Survival & regression analyses indicated that traumatic grief symptoms 6 months after the death of the spouse predicted such negative health outcomes as cancer, heart trouble, high blood pressure, suicide ideation, & changes in eating habits at 13 or 25 month follow-up. Psychiatric sequelae such as traumatic grief are critical in determining those who are at risk for long-term dysfunction. (36 refs)