Risk factors for developing prolonged grief during bereavement in family carers of cancer patients in palliative care: A longitudinal study

Abstract

Context. Family carers of palliative care patients report high levels of psychological distress throughout the caregiving phase and during bereavement. Palliative care providers are required to provide psychosocial support to family carers; however, determining which carers are more likely to develop prolonged grief (PG) is currently unclear. Objectives. To ascertain whether family carers reporting high levels of PG symptoms and those who develop PG disorder (PGD) by six and 13 months postdeath can be predicted from predeath information. Methods. A longitudinal study of 301 carers of patients receiving palliative care was conducted across three palliative care services. Data were collected o..