Abstract

This study examined the mediating role of vicarious grief in the relationship between collectivistic tendencies and psycholog- ical maladjustment. Participants included 277 Korean adults recruited from an online panel site. The scales used were the Collectivism–Individualism Cultural Dimension, Inventory of Traumatic Grief, and Brief Symptom Inventory. Collectivistic tendencies were positively associated with vicarious grief and psychological maladjustment, while vicarious grief was posi- tively associated with psychological maladjustment. Vicarious grief fully mediated the relationship between collectivistic ten- dencies and psychological maladjustment. The findings suggest that Koreans experience distress when grieving vicariously in response to others’ traumatic life events.