Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the dual mediation effect of intrusive rumination and meaning integration on the relationship between grief-related avoidance and prolonged grief. A survey was conducted with adults aged 20 and above, and data from 273 participants were analyzed. The analysis revealed significant correlations between grief-related avoidance and both intrusive rumination and prolonged grief. Additionally, grief-related avoidance showed a negative correlation with meaning integration. Moreover, both the correlation between intrusive rumination and meaning integration and the correlation between meaning integration and prolonged grief were significant. Furthermore, in the process by which grief-related avoidance influences prolonged grief, the dual mediation effect of intrusive rumination and meaning integration was found to be significant. In other words, high levels of grief-related avoidance increased intrusive rumination, which, in turn, hindered the process of finding meaning and therefore affected symptoms of prolonged grief. These results highlight the importance of addressing grief-related avoidance in therapeutic interventions for prolonged grief, suggesting that it is necessary to address this issue before engaging in the meaning-making process of coping with loss. Finally, the study concludes by discussing the significance and limitations of the findings.