VALIDATION OF THE PROLONGED GRIEF DISORDER-13-REVISED IN A SAMPLE OF OLDER ADULTS - Revised validation study

Q: Why is validation of PG-13-R important for older adults?

Older adults have increased risk for PGD, and PG-13-R is designed to assess PGD while reducing misdiagnosis and avoiding pathologizing normal grief.

Q: How was the study conducted and what tools were used?

The study included 120 racially and ethnically diverse adults aged 50 and older who completed grief, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and loneliness measures using REDCap; correlations were computed in SPSS Version 29.

Q: What did the results show about validity of PG-13-R?

PG-13-R correlated strongly with the PTSD measure (r=0.67, p<0.001), moderately with anxiety (r=0.49, p<0.001), and weakly with depression (r=0.39, p<0.001) and loneliness (r=0.34, p<0.001).

Q: What refinement is suggested for future grief assessment?

The PG-13-R could be refined to capture unique features of grief distinct from PTSD, improving the quality of grief assessment and clinical care.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by Taylor Morgan

Older adults face elevated risk for Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) due to higher exposure to loss, lower cognitive functioning, and increased loneliness and depression. Prolonged Grief Disorder-13 Revised (PG-13-R) is the primary instrument tailored to assess PGD and aims to reduce misdiagnosis and avoid pathologizing normal grief. This study tested convergent and discriminant validity in 120 adults aged 50+ using REDCap and SPSS, showing strong, moderate, and weak correlations with PTSD, anxiety, depression, and loneliness, supporting related-concept overlap and indicating potential for further refinement.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Background

Study Rationale and Instrument Purpose

Methods

Participants and Measures

Data Analysis

Results

Correlations With Related Mental Health Measures

Implications for Distinct Grief Features

Conclusion

Refinement and Clinical Relevance

Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 849 Abstract citation ID: igaf122.2875 VALIDATION OF THE PROLONGED GRIEF DISORDER-13-REVISED IN A SAMPLE OF OLDER ADULTS Hannah Apostolou1, Lindsey Jacobs2, Rebecca Allen2, A. Lynn Snow2, Alexa Tullett2, and Hyunjin Noh2, 1. The University of Alabama, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, 2. The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States Older adults are at an increased risk of developing Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) due to the heightened chances of experiencing a loss, lower levels of cognitive functioning, and heightened rates of loneliness and depression. Currently, the Prolonged Grief Disorder-13 Revised (PG-13-R) is the only measure specifically designed to assess for PGD. The PG-13-R was developed to reduce misdiagnoses of PGD and avoid pathologizing normal grief, as research has found grief to be a distinct psychological response to bereavement. The present study compared the PG-13-R to other measures of similarly presenting mental health disorders. Our sample consisted of 120 racially and ethnically diverse adults aged 50 and older who completed measures of grief, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and loneliness using REDCap. Correlation coefficients were computed using SPSS Version 29 to investigate convergent and discriminant validity of the PG-13-R and other mental health disorder measures. The results showed the PG-13-R was strongly correlated with the PTSD measure (r=0.67, p <0.001), moderately correlated with the anxiety measure (r=0.49, p <0.001), and weakly correlated with measures of depression (r=0.39, p <0.001) and loneliness (r=0.34, p <0.001). This suggests the PG-13-R and PTSD measure are capturing aspects of a related concept. The PG-13-R could be further refined to capture unique features of grief, distinct from PTSD, to improve the quality of grief assessment. Continuing to improve existing measures further equips mental health professionals to serve the community by advancing the identification, assessment, and treatment of mental health disorders.

FAQs

Why is validation of PG-13-R important for older adults?

Older adults have increased risk for PGD, and PG-13-R is designed to assess PGD while reducing misdiagnosis and avoiding pathologizing normal grief.

How was the study conducted and what tools were used?

The study included 120 racially and ethnically diverse adults aged 50 and older who completed grief, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and loneliness measures using REDCap; correlations were computed in SPSS Version 29.

What did the results show about validity of PG-13-R?

PG-13-R correlated strongly with the PTSD measure (r=0.67, p<0.001), moderately with anxiety (r=0.49, p<0.001), and weakly with depression (r=0.39, p<0.001) and loneliness (r=0.34, p<0.001).

What refinement is suggested for future grief assessment?

The PG-13-R could be refined to capture unique features of grief distinct from PTSD, improving the quality of grief assessment and clinical care.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by Taylor Morgan