Network analysis of PGD, PTSD and insomnia symptoms in Chinese shidu parents with PGD. Issue 1 (31st December 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Xu, Xin; Xie, Tong; Zhou, Ningning; Shi, Guangyuan; Wen, Jun; Wang, Jianping; Li, Xin; Poppen, Paul J.
• Is Part Of: European journal of psychotraumatology. Volume 13:Issue 1(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-12-31
• Subjects: Network analysis -- shidu parents -- PGD -- PTSD -- insomnia; análisis de redes -- padres Shidu -- PGD -- PTSD -- insomnio; 网络分析 -- 失独父母 -- 延长哀伤障碍 -- 创伤后应激障碍 -- 失眠; Post-traumatic stress disorder -- Periodicals; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Electronic journals; Periodicals; Periodicals; Fulltext; Internet Resources; Periodicals; 616.8521
• DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2022.2057674
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2000-8198

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Background: Chinese shidu parents (bereaved parents over the age of 49 who have lost their only child) are potentially at a high risk of prolonged grief disorder (PGD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and insomnia. Objective: The current study aimed to estimate three network models in 310 shidu parents who met the ICD-11 criteria for PGD: (1) a PGD network to identify central symptoms; (2) a comorbidity network to explore bridge symptoms between PGD and PTSD; (3) a comorbidity network to examine the associations between PGD and insomnia symptoms. Methods: The R-packages bootnet, qgraph and networktools were used to investigate the structure of network models and centrality indices of symptoms. In addition, robustness and significance analyses for the edge weights and the order of centrality were performed. Results: Emotional pain and numbness emerged as the most central symptoms in the PGD network. In the PGD-PTSD comorbidity network, the highest bridge strength symptoms were inability to trust others (PGD) and feeling upset (PTSD). Inability to trust others (PGD), avoidance (PGD), and impairment of life quality (insomnia) were possible bridge symptoms connecting PGD and insomnia. Conclusions: Reducing emotional pain and numbness may be a viable target in PGD interventions for shidu parents. Additionally, findings suggest that future studies could examine the role of inability to trust others and avoidance in PGD comorbidities. HIGHLIGHTS: Emotional pain and numbness were the most influential symptoms in shidu parents with PGD. The role of PGD symptoms of inability to trust others and avoidance in the comorbidities of PGD with PTSD and insomnia might be worthy of further study