A Path Analysis of the Impact of Guilt on Prolonged Grief Symptoms: The Mediating Role of Psychological Distress and Perceived Social Support in Bereaved Parents After Child Loss to Cancer

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between guilt and prolonged grief disorder in parents bereaved by the death of a child with cancer, mediated by psychological distress and perceived social support. The statistical population included parents who had passed at least one year after the death of their child. 186 people were selected through convenience sampling and responded to questionnaires. The results of the path analysis showed that guilt does not have a direct and significant effect on prolonged grief disorder, but it has an indirect effect through the mediation of psychological distress (β = 0.709, p < 0.001). Perceived social support has no direct or indirect effect on prolonged grief disorder. The R² index = 0.58 also indicates the desirable explanatory power and predictability of the present conceptual model. Exploratory analysis showed that time since bereavement significantly affected grief symptoms. The findings emphasize the role of negative emotions such as guilt and psychological distress as key predictors of prolonged grief disorder.