The following is a summary of “Impact of Stressful Life Events after Bereavement: A Nationwide Cross-sectional Survey,” published in the APRIL 2023 issue of Pain and Symptom Management by Shimizu, et al.

Family members who have experienced the loss of a loved one may struggle with distress caused by stressful life events, but it was unclear how the distress affected their risk of depression and complicated grief. For a study, researchers sought to determine the extent of distress caused by post-bereavement stressful life events, the associated factors (specifically social isolation), and its impact on the risk of major depressive disorder (MDD) and complicated grief (CG) in bereaved family members of cancer patients.

A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted in 2018 as part of the J-HOPE4 study. The study recruited 1,740 bereaved family members of cancer patients who died from July to August 2018. Researchers assessed distress due to post-bereavement stressful life events using the Bereavement Secondary Stressor Scale, social isolation using the Lubben Social Network Scale Short-Form, and MDD and CG risk using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Brief Grief Questionnaire, respectively.

Of the 913 (52.5%) respondents, 88% experienced distress due to incidental tasks, 57% due to daily life difficulties, 46% due to financial problems, 28% due to problems with other people, and 19% due to deterioration of family relationships. A higher level of distress was associated with increased risks of MDD (odds ratio [OR] = 2.5, P < 0.01) and CG (OR = 2.5, P < 0.01). In addition, social isolation and specific backgrounds were linked to greater distress in response to stressful life events.

Most bereaved family members experienced distress due to stressful life events, which increased the risk of MDD and CG. Therefore, identifying risk factors for poor adaptation to post-bereavement life changes and enhancing readiness to adapt to them was important.

Reference: jpsmjournal.com/article/S0885-3924(22)01044-2/fulltext