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The Impact of Prolonged Grief Disorder on Experiential Avoidance in Parentally Bereaved Emerging Adults and the Moderating Role of Coping Skills

Introduction

The impact of prolonged grief disorder on experiential avoidance in parentally bereaved emerging adults and the moderating role of coping skills. Explore the impact of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) on experiential avoidance in parentally bereaved emerging adults. Discover how coping skills moderate this relationship, influencing coping styles.

Abstract

A person's relationship with their parents is one of the most wonderful things that can happen to them. This study primarily focused on individuals who have lost this precious relation in childhood. The objective of the research was to explore the relationship between experiential avoidance and prolonged grief disorder (PGD) in parentally bereaved emerging adults, and to determine the moderating role of coping skills in relationship between experiential avoidance and PGD. The study was quantitative in nature and research design of the study was correlational experimental design. For this purpose, Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire, Brief COPE Inventory, and PG13-r were used. The total of 200 participants who were parentally bereaved emerging adults (67 males and 133 females) from Karachi, Pakistan were recruited based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The results showed significant association between experiential avoidance and PGD. It concluded experiential avoidance is significantly a predictor of emotion-focused and avoidant-focused coping whereas, problem-focused coping skills play a moderating role between both the variables. The findings proved the type of coping style an individual use can determine experiential avoidance and PGD. This research conclusively provided parentally bereaved emerging adults will involve in experiential avoidance that will lead to any of the coping skills; problem-focused, emotion-focused, and avoidant-focused. This, in turn, may lead to PGD.

Review

This study delves into the intricate relationship between prolonged grief disorder (PGD) and experiential avoidance among parentally bereaved emerging adults, with a particular focus on the moderating role of coping skills. Utilizing a quantitative, correlational approach, the researchers recruited 200 participants from Karachi, Pakistan, employing standardized measures for experiential avoidance, coping styles, and PGD. The findings indicate a significant association between experiential avoidance and PGD, suggesting that experiential avoidance predicts emotion-focused and avoidant-focused coping. Notably, problem-focused coping skills were identified as a significant moderator in the relationship between experiential avoidance and PGD. Overall, the research contributes to our understanding of the psychological mechanisms at play when young adults navigate the profound loss of a parent. One of the significant strengths of this study is its specific focus on parentally bereaved emerging adults, a population that faces unique developmental challenges alongside their grief experience. The investigation into experiential avoidance and its connection to PGD is highly relevant, as is the exploration of coping skills as a potential buffer or mediator. The use of established psychometric instruments enhances the reliability of the data, and the recruitment of participants from a non-Western context like Pakistan provides a valuable cultural perspective that enriches the existing, often Western-centric, literature on grief and coping. The identification of problem-focused coping as a moderator offers a promising direction for targeted interventions aimed at mitigating the development of PGD in this vulnerable group. While offering valuable insights, several aspects of the study warrant further clarification or refinement. The description of the research design as "correlational experimental design" is somewhat contradictory, as correlational studies identify associations, while experimental designs manipulate variables to infer causation. A precise articulation of the methodological approach is crucial. Furthermore, the concluding statement in the abstract, suggesting that experiential avoidance "will lead to any of the coping skills... This, in turn, may lead to PGD," appears to overstate the causal inferences that can be drawn from a correlational study, and potentially oversimplifies the complex interplay, particularly in light of the stated moderating role of problem-focused coping. Future research could benefit from a more nuanced discussion of causality and directionality, perhaps through longitudinal designs. Additionally, a more detailed discussion of the practical implications for clinical practice, beyond simply identifying associations, would enhance the utility of these findings.

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