Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
Volume 54, Issue 6, 2019, Pages 771-780

The structure and psychosocial correlates of complicated bereavement amongst refugees from West Papua (Article)

Tay A.K.* , Mohsin M. , Rees S. , Tam N. , Kareth M. , Silove D.
  • a Centre for Population Mental Health Research, Liverpool Hospital and Psychiatry Research and Teaching Unit, School of Psychiatry, Cnr Forbes and Campbell Streets, University of New South Wales, Liverpool NSW 2170, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
  • b Centre for Population Mental Health Research, Liverpool Hospital and Psychiatry Research and Teaching Unit, School of Psychiatry, Cnr Forbes and Campbell Streets, University of New South Wales, Liverpool NSW 2170, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
  • c Centre for Population Mental Health Research, Liverpool Hospital and Psychiatry Research and Teaching Unit, School of Psychiatry, Cnr Forbes and Campbell Streets, University of New South Wales, Liverpool NSW 2170, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
  • d Centre for Population Mental Health Research, Liverpool Hospital and Psychiatry Research and Teaching Unit, School of Psychiatry, Cnr Forbes and Campbell Streets, University of New South Wales, Liverpool NSW 2170, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
  • e Centre for Population Mental Health Research, Liverpool Hospital and Psychiatry Research and Teaching Unit, School of Psychiatry, Cnr Forbes and Campbell Streets, University of New South Wales, Liverpool NSW 2170, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
  • f Centre for Population Mental Health Research, Liverpool Hospital and Psychiatry Research and Teaching Unit, School of Psychiatry, Cnr Forbes and Campbell Streets, University of New South Wales, Liverpool NSW 2170, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia

Abstract

Purpose: Refugees may be at risk of experiencing a complicated form of bereavement. As yet, however, the nosological status of this putative category across cultures remains in question. We apply qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate the manifestations, prevalence, factorial structure and psychosocial correlates of complicated bereavement amongst refugees from West Papua, a population with no past exposure to western concepts of grief or to formal mental health services. Methods: Qualitative methods (focus groups and informant interviews) were used to identify cultural expressions of complicated bereavement derived from international classification systems, that is, DSM 5 persistent complex bereavement disorder (PCBD) and ICD-11 prolonged grief disorder (PGD) in developing a structured interview applied by trained field workers. Participants were adult West Papuan refugees and their offspring recruited from households (n = 486, response 85.8%) across nine villages in a remote town in Papua New Guinea. Results: The qualitative data obtained from focus groups (n = 20) and informant interviews (n = 4) with local psychiatrists supported the cultural validity of complicated bereavement. 16% (n = 78) of the sample met criteria for PCBD based on DSM-5 criteria and 103 (21%) met criteria for PGD based on ICD-11 criteria. Confirmatory factor analysis yielded a six-factor model of complicated bereavement with a moderately good fit to the data. The model included dimensions of anger/negative appraisal (AN), avoidance/giving up, estrangement from others, and confusion and diminished identity. In contrast, the DSM-5 three-factor model and the ICD-11 two-factor model each yielded a poor fit. Cumulative traumatic losses (β = 0.16, P = 0.03), duration since displacement [(β = 0.10, P = 0.02)] and postmigration living difficulties (β = 0.20, P = 0.01) were associated with an aggregated index of complicated bereavement, supporting the concurrent validity of the structure identified. Conclusions: Culture and exposure to persecution and displacement may contribute to the content and configuration of the complicated bereavement reaction, an issue that requires recognition in international classification systems and clinical practice. © 2019, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

Author Keywords

ICD-11 Refugee confirmatory factor analysis Postmigration living difficulties Persistent complex bereavement disorder Prolonged grief disorder displacement

Index Keywords

depression refugee bereavement human factor analysis Refugees middle aged Factor Analysis, Statistical International Classification of Diseases anger Depressive Disorder diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders qualitative research Humans psychology male female prevalence Papua New Guinea adult
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85061719965&doi=10.1007%2fs00127-019-01666-1&partnerID=40&md5=530b1a0aaacab1fc05d3914dc76ffa09
DOI: 10.1007/s00127-019-01666-1
ISSN: 09337954
Original Language: English