Prolonged grief and posttraumatic stress in parents who lost a child in a road traffic accident: A latent class analysis
Background: The traumatic loss of a child in a road traffic accident (RTA) can lead to mental health issues in parents, such as symptoms of prolonged grief (PG) and posttraumatic stress (PTS). Latent class analysis (LCA) provides insights into different responses to such losses. Methods: Using LCA,...
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Elsevier
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Journal of Affective Disorders Reports |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666915325000095 |
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| author | I. van Dijk P.A. Boelen J. de Keijser L. Reitsma L.I.M. Lenferink |
| author_facet | I. van Dijk P.A. Boelen J. de Keijser L. Reitsma L.I.M. Lenferink |
| author_sort | I. van Dijk |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: The traumatic loss of a child in a road traffic accident (RTA) can lead to mental health issues in parents, such as symptoms of prolonged grief (PG) and posttraumatic stress (PTS). Latent class analysis (LCA) provides insights into different responses to such losses. Methods: Using LCA, 148 parents that were bereaved at least twelve months earlier, were categorized into latent classes based on similar response patterns. Associations between class membership and sociodemographic and loss-related variables and self-directed anger were examined. Results: Two symptom patterns emerged: a 'High PG/Moderate PTS' pattern (73.2 %) and a 'Moderate-High PG/Low PTS' pattern (26.8 %). Mothers and those with more self-directed anger were more likely to present with the first symptom pattern. Limitations: Inclusion of parents undergoing therapy for clinically relevant symptoms, small sample size, no differentiation between parents of minor and adult children, and including only four PTS symptoms are limitations that may have influenced the identified symptom patterns. Conclusions: Parents who lost a child in a RTA seem at risk for developing psychological symptoms, with PG being more predominant than PTS. The study highlights the possible value of addressing modifiable factors such as self-directed anger in therapeutic interventions for PG and PTS after traumatic loss of a child. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0fb9a25ac2d44ffc8c043550c0af12f3 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2666-9153 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Affective Disorders Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-0fb9a25ac2d44ffc8c043550c0af12f32025-02-07T04:48:28ZengElsevierJournal of Affective Disorders Reports2666-91532025-04-0120100879Prolonged grief and posttraumatic stress in parents who lost a child in a road traffic accident: A latent class analysisI. van Dijk0P.A. Boelen1J. de Keijser2L. Reitsma3L.I.M. Lenferink4Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80140, 3508 TC, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Corresponding author: Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80140, 3508 TC, Utrecht, the Netherlands.Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80140, 3508 TC, Utrecht, the Netherlands; ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre, Nienoord 5, 1112 XE, Diemen, the NetherlandsDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1 9712 TS Groningen, the NetherlandsDepartment of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80140, 3508 TC, Utrecht, the NetherlandsDepartment of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80140, 3508 TC, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1 9712 TS Groningen, the Netherlands; Department of Psychology, Health & Technology, Faculty of Behavioural Management and Social Sciences, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE, Enschede, the NetherlandsBackground: The traumatic loss of a child in a road traffic accident (RTA) can lead to mental health issues in parents, such as symptoms of prolonged grief (PG) and posttraumatic stress (PTS). Latent class analysis (LCA) provides insights into different responses to such losses. Methods: Using LCA, 148 parents that were bereaved at least twelve months earlier, were categorized into latent classes based on similar response patterns. Associations between class membership and sociodemographic and loss-related variables and self-directed anger were examined. Results: Two symptom patterns emerged: a 'High PG/Moderate PTS' pattern (73.2 %) and a 'Moderate-High PG/Low PTS' pattern (26.8 %). Mothers and those with more self-directed anger were more likely to present with the first symptom pattern. Limitations: Inclusion of parents undergoing therapy for clinically relevant symptoms, small sample size, no differentiation between parents of minor and adult children, and including only four PTS symptoms are limitations that may have influenced the identified symptom patterns. Conclusions: Parents who lost a child in a RTA seem at risk for developing psychological symptoms, with PG being more predominant than PTS. The study highlights the possible value of addressing modifiable factors such as self-directed anger in therapeutic interventions for PG and PTS after traumatic loss of a child.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666915325000095Prolonged griefPosttraumatic stressLossBereaved parentsRoad traffic accidentSelf-directed anger |
| spellingShingle | I. van Dijk P.A. Boelen J. de Keijser L. Reitsma L.I.M. Lenferink Prolonged grief and posttraumatic stress in parents who lost a child in a road traffic accident: A latent class analysis Journal of Affective Disorders Reports Prolonged grief Posttraumatic stress Loss Bereaved parents Road traffic accident Self-directed anger |
| title | Prolonged grief and posttraumatic stress in parents who lost a child in a road traffic accident: A latent class analysis |
| title_full | Prolonged grief and posttraumatic stress in parents who lost a child in a road traffic accident: A latent class analysis |
| title_fullStr | Prolonged grief and posttraumatic stress in parents who lost a child in a road traffic accident: A latent class analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prolonged grief and posttraumatic stress in parents who lost a child in a road traffic accident: A latent class analysis |
| title_short | Prolonged grief and posttraumatic stress in parents who lost a child in a road traffic accident: A latent class analysis |
| title_sort | prolonged grief and posttraumatic stress in parents who lost a child in a road traffic accident a latent class analysis |
| topic | Prolonged grief Posttraumatic stress Loss Bereaved parents Road traffic accident Self-directed anger |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666915325000095 |
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