LAUSR

Objective This study aimed to investigate the relationships between the perceived support at the time of assistance, insecure attachment (i.e., avoidance and anxious attachment factors), and the prolonged grief symptoms in family caregivers of palliative care patients deceased for at least one year. We also investigated the moderating role of insecure attachment in the relationship between perceived support and intensity of prolonged grief symptoms. Method A sample of 157 participants completed the Prolonged Grief Scale (PG-13) and the Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ). Results Correlational analysis indicated that prolonged grief symptoms were positively correlated with the Avoidance attachment factor but not with the Anxious one. The perceived support was negatively related to both the Avoidance and the Anxious attachment factors. Lastly, the two insecure attachment factors were moderately and positively correlated with each other. Results of moderation analysis showed that the high Avoidance attachment moderated the effect of the perceived family and social support on the intensity of prolonged grief symptoms among family caregivers of patients assisted in palliative home care. Results also showed that the Anxious attachment factor had a significant effect on prolonged grief symptoms, even though the interaction with the perceived support was not significant. Conclusions Overall, these results underline that a high level of avoidance attachment may moderate the relationship between the perceived support and intensity of grief symptoms and thereby increasing the risk of developing a mental disorder. Intervention to prevent prolonged grief disorder among family caregivers should take into account these findings.