Is complicated grief a risk factor for substance use? A comparison of substance-users and normative grievers

Background: There are no studies to date which have examined complicated grief (CG) symptomatology in substance use disorder (SUD) populations specifically. This study aimed to determine if the presence of symptoms of CG is more frequent among drug dependent patients than a control group and identify which variables could be associated with the symptomatology of CG.

Method: Sociodemographic variables, drug and bereavement related characteristics, CG symptomatology and perceived social support were examined in a sample of 196 bereaved SUD patients (78.1% men). The control group was formed by 100 bereaved non-addicted participants (73% men). A multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to identify which variables were associated with symptoms of CG.

Results: The presence of symptoms of CG among SUD patients was 34.2%, in comparison to 5% in the control group. Respondents with a higher CG symptomatology include: those being widowed (β=?0.165), those who had lost a sibling (β?=?0.253), those who had experienced a traumatic death (β?=?0.158), those without working status (β=?0.005). By contrast, being from the control group (β=??0.157), reporting secondary education (β?=??0.201) and perceived social support (β?=??0.146) were found to be protective factors.

Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of diagnosing and treating those bereaved individuals with SUD who appear to be particularly vulnerable to develop CG symptomatology.