title: Palliative Care Caregivers' Grief Mediators: A Prospective Study.
abstract: The aim of the study is to identify the mediators of complicated grief in a Portuguese sample of caregivers. Grief mediators were prospectively evaluated using a list of risk factors completed by the palliative care team members, during the predeath and bereavement period. More than 6 months after the death, we applied PG-13 to diagnose prolonged grief disorder (PGD). The sample was composed of 64 family caregivers. Factors associated with PGD were insecure and dependent relationship, unresolved family crisis, and the perceived deterioration and disfigurement of the patient. The results show relational factors are relevant, but we must consider the reciprocal influence among factors, as well as their impact on specific symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Palliative Care Unit, Hospital Santa Maria, Academic Center of Studies and Intervention in Grief, Bioethics Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal alexandra.moura.coelho@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Alexandra M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.affiliation: Palliative Care Unit, Hospital Santa Maria, Higher Institute of Applied Psychology, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Mayra A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Delalibera
authors.affiliation: Palliative Care Unit, Hospital Santa Maria, Academic Center of Studies and Intervention in Grief, Bioethics Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: António
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barbosa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001293:Attitude to Death; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000523:psychology*; D011174:Portugal; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: caregivers; grief; mediators; palliative care; prospective study; risk factors