Bereaved people who suffer intense and prolonged grief symptoms are nearly twice as likely to die within a decade of a loved one’s death, a new study has found.
Researchers in Denmark have found that bereaved people who experience persistent high levels of grief used more healthcare services and were 88 per cent more likely to die than those who experience low levels of grief.
They identified five grief trajectories that people experienced after losing a loved one, and found that those most severely affected were more likely to die earlier on.
“We have previously found a connection between high grief symptom levels and higher rates of cardiovascular disease, mental health problems, and even suicide. But the association with mortality should be further investigated,” said Dr Mette Kjærgaard Nielsen, an author of the study.
He said that people who were at risk for a ‘high’ grief trajectory could be recognised early on.
“A GP could look for previous signs of depression and other severe mental health conditions. They can then offer these patients tailored follow-up in general practice, or refer them to a private-practice psychologist or secondary care.
“The GP may also suggest a bereavement follow-up appointment focusing on mental health,” said Dr Nielsen.
Scientists followed a group of 1,735 bereaved women and men living in Denmark with an average age of 62 years on enrollment for ten years, since 2012. They were sent a series of questionnaires in that time that assessed their symptoms and experiences, which researchers used to determine what level of grief they were persistently experiencing.
Of the group, 66 per cent had recently lost their partner, 27 per cent a parent, and 7 per cent another kind of loved relation.
Six percent of those experienced persistently high levels of grief symptoms and were 88 per cent more likely to die within ten years compared to the 38 per cent of people who reported having persistently low levels of grief symptoms.
Those who were on the high trajectory were also more likely to receive health care services three years after bereavement.
They had a 186 per cent higher chance of receiving talk therapy or other mental health services, a 463 per cent higher chance of being prescribed antidepressants, and a 160 per cent higher chance of being prescribed sedatives or anxiety drugs.
