• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.67 no.2
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• pp.61-84
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to develop the Post-bereavement Growth Inventory(PBGI) for the elderly and to evaluate its validity. The items for developing PBGI were compiled from a literature search, content validity review, and a preliminary survey. A main survey of 308 widowed persons(aged 60+) was conducted. The results were as follows. First, an exploratory factor analysis revealed six factors of the PBGI. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis supported a five-factor structure for the final 24 scale items of scale. Second, in terms of concurrent validity, the PGBI compared favorably with the "Personal Growth" scale from The Hogan Grief Reaction Checklist (HGRC: Hogan and Schimdt, 2001). Third, the results of contrast group validity tests demonstrated that the group scoring in the upper 30% on the scales of Psychological Well-being (PWB, Ryff and Keyes, 1995) and the Grief Reaction Inventory (GRI: Remondet and Hansson, 1987) showed a significantly higher degree of post-bereavement growth (PBG) than the group scoring in the lower 30%. Fourth, Cronbach's ${\alpha}$ values for the five factors were between .649-.856 and .907 overall, indicating high internal consistency. Finally, education had the most significant influence on PBG. All results indicated the high validity of the PBGI. The findings from this study could provide the rationale for practical interventions from a growth-oriented perspective for widowed persons, as well as an objective assessment tool for practitioners in clinical areas.

• Psychiatry investigation
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.1168-1173
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• 2018

Objective After the Sewol ferry disaster, bereavement with suicidal ideation was a critical mental health problem that was accompanied by various neuropsychological symptoms. This study examined the frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA), heart rate variability (HRV), and several psychological symptoms in bereaved family members (BFM) after the Sewol ferry disaster. Methods Eighty-three BFM after the Sewol ferry disaster were recruited. We assessed FAA, HRV, and psychological symptoms, including depression, post-traumatic stress, post-traumatic growth factor, anxiety, grief, and positive resources, between BFM with the presence and absence of current suicidal ideation. Results Compared to BFM without suicidal ideation, BFM with suicidal ideation showed a higher FAA with right dominance. Significant differences in psychological symptoms were observed between the groups. In BFM with suicidal ideation, the low: high frequency (LF:HF) ratio correlated with social resources and support. Conclusion The FAA and LF:HF ratio may be biomarkers that represent the pathological conditions of BFM with suicidal ideation. If researched further, they may shed light on the interaction between bereavement with suicidal ideation and social resources for therapeutic intervention.