The Relationship between Complicated Grief and Post-Traumatic Growth in Emerging Adults Experiencing Parental Bereavement

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between complicated grief and post-traumatic growth (PTG) in Indonesian emerging adults who experienced parental bereavement. Using a quantitative correlational design, data were collected from 102 participants aged 18 to 29 years who lost one or both parents within the preceding three years. Complicated grief was measured using a modified version of the Prolonged Grief Disorder-13 Revised (PG-13-R), while PTG was assessed using the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory Short Form (PTGI-SF-10), both adapted into Indonesian and validated through expert judgment and pilot testing. Spearman's rho correlation analysis revealed a significant negative relationship between complicated grief and PTG (r = -0.398, p < .001), indicating that higher levels of complicated grief are associated with lower PTG. The majority of participants scored in the high range for both complicated grief (74.5%) and PTG (82.4%), reflecting the co-occurrence of maladaptive grief responses and positive growth. These findings are discussed in light of Tedeschi and Calhoun's (2004) PTG theoretical model and Zoellner and Maercker's (2006) Janus-Face Model, contributing empirical evidence from an Indonesian collectivistic cultural context.