Mental health in traumatically bereaved individuals: The role of loss-related, personal, interpersonal, and emotion regulation factors

Abstract

The traumatic loss of a loved one is among the most common traumatic events worldwide and represents a public mental health concern. This study assessed the lifetime prevalence of such losses in a nationally representative sample of Icelandic adults. Among traumatically bereaved individuals in this sample (N = 1,002; 56.4% women, 43.6% men), a hierarchical structural equation model was used to examine loss-related, personal, interpersonal, and emotion regulation factors associated with psychological distress. The overall prevalence of exposure to traumatic loss was high (56.7%). Significant risk factors identified for psychological distress included being a woman, β = .084; a history of multiple losses; β = .090; and higher levels of anger control difficulties, β = .459. Conversely, older age, β = −.076; higher levels of educational attainment, β = −.100; more financial security, β = −.218; and higher social support, β = −.253, were identified as protective factors. These findings underscore the burden of traumatic loss and point to potential targets for mental health prevention efforts among bereaved individuals.