@article{ref1,
title="Attentional bias during acute grief predicts clinical outcome in suicide-related bereavement",
journal="Journal of affective disorders",
year="2023",
author="Michel, Christina A. and Galfalvy, Hanga C. and Mann, J. John and Schneck, Noam",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Individuals who have lost a loved one to suicide are at increased risk for developing complicated grief (CG). It is unclear why only a subgroup of bereaved develops pathological forms of grief. Vulnerability may be related to the ability to regulate attention toward reminders of the deceased during the acute phase of grief. Using a longitudinal design, we determined whether loss-related attentional bias during acute grief predicts grief severity one year later. <br><br>METHODS: Thirty-seven participants grieving a first-degree relative or partner to suicide in the prior 6 months performed an emotional Stroop task using words related to the deceased, a living attachment figure, living non-attachment figure, and color congruent Stroop to quantify related attentional bias during the acute grief period. Clinical interviews were conducted at baseline (N = 37) and one year later (N = 35). <br><br>RESULTS: Participants showed greater attentional bias to deceased-related word trials compared with living attachment, non-attachment, and congruent trials, controlling for age, time since loss, depression, and psychiatric medication. A greater reduction in grief severity over time was associated with more deceased-related attentional bias at baseline. Self-reported grief avoidance was related to deceased-related attentional bias, with lower avoidance scores associated with greater bias. LIMITATIONS: Lack of non-suicide grief control and small sample size. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Less deceased-related bias following the loss may hinder the transition from acute to integrated grief and result in poorer grief trajectories.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0165-0327",
doi="10.1016/j.jad.2023.02.009",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.02.009"
}