Clinical Narratives of Prolonged Grief Disorder: A Qualitative Study of Bereaved Young Adults

Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) is a trauma- and stressor-related condition characterized by persistent and intense grief that significantly disrupts daily functioning. This study aimed to examine how bereaved young adults in Pakistan experience, interpret and cope with prolonged grief following the loss of a loved one. For this study qualitative research design by using semi-structured in-depth interviews with fifteen bereaved young adults. Data were analysed by using reflexive thematic analysis to capture participants’ subjective senses and emotional experiences of their grief. The analysis produced four interconnected themes such as identity disruption, persistent emotional dysregulation, social withdrawal and sprouting meanings of mourning over time. Participants labelled enduring grief marked by their emotional numbness, helplessness, hopelessness, loss of purpose and most of all difficulties readjusting to everyday life. Cultural potentials surrounding emotional restraint, family responsibility and the reliance on religious coping regularly limited open expression of their grief and delayed professional help-seeking behaviour. Notably, many research participants reported that grief usually intensified over time rather than diminishing and particularly following sudden or traumatic losses. These results of studies also bring out the fact that PGD and have a culturally ingrained nature highlight the necessity of grief specific symptoms, culturally sensitive and responsive workshops psychological treatment of young adults in Pakistani clinical and, educational institutions.