TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2011//
TI  - The distinctiveness of prolonged grief and posttraumatic stress disorder in adults bereaved by the attacks of September 11th
JO  - Journal of affective disorders
A1  - Barnes, J. Ben
A1  - Dickstein, Benjamin D.
A1  - Maguen, Shira
A1  - Neria, Yuval
A1  - Litz, Brett T.
SP  - 366
EP  - 369
VL  - 136
IS  - 3
N2  - BACKGROUND: Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) is a new diagnosis proposed for inclusion in the DSM-V. Although some studies have shown the distinctiveness of PGD and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), this relationship has yet to be tested within a context of sudden, violent loss. METHOD: We conducted an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using self-report data collected from a sample of 587 bereaved adults who lost friends and relatives in the attacks of September 11th. Participants completed a 9-item PGD screening measure and the 17-item PTSD Checklist. RESULTS: A five factor solution representing two distinct constructs emerged from our analysis. Although two PGD items loaded onto factors containing PTSD symptoms, these items assessed non-specific symptomatology (i.e., generalized negative affect). Thus, overall, our results support the distinctiveness of PGD and PTSD within a context of sudden, violent loss. LIMITATIONS: Data were collected using self-report. The representativeness of our sample is uncertain. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide a stringent test of construct validity and suggest that PGD warrants inclusion in the diagnostic nosology. Adding PGD to the DSM-V will help clinicians better assess and treat psychopathology resulting from grief.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0165-0327
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2011.11.022
ID  - ref1
ER  -