The Associations of Complicated Grief,Depression,Posttraumatic Growth,and Hope Among Bereaved Youth

Abstract

Research on the association between complicated grief (CG), hope, and posttraumatic growth (PTG) among bereaved youth is limited. Measures of CG, depression, hope, and PTG were completed by 85 youth (aged 7–18 years). Results indicated a strong positive relationship between CG and depressive symptoms, an inverse relationship between hope and depressive symptoms, and a moderate positive relationship between hope and PTG. There was no significant association between CG and hope or between CG and PTG. Higher levels of CG and lower levels of hope independently predicted greater depressive symptoms, but PTG did not. Results have implications for assessing positive outcomes in bereaved youth.

Keywords

children complicated grief posttraumatic growth depression hope

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