The loss of a fellow service member: Complicated grief in post-9/11 service members and veterans with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder

Bereavement is a potent and highly prevalent stressor among service members and veterans. However, the psychological consequences of bereavement, including complicated grief (CG), have been minimally examined. Loss was assessed in 204 post-9/11, when service members and veterans with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) took part in a multicenter treatment study. Those who reported the loss of an important person completed the inventory of complicated grief (ICG; n = 160). Over three quarters (79.41%) of the sample reported an important lifetime loss, with close to half (47.06%) reporting the loss of a fellow service member (FSM). The prevalence of CG was 24.75% overall, and nearly one third (31.25%) among the bereaved. CG was more prevalent among veterans who lost a fellow service member (FSM) (41.05%, n = 39) compared to those bereaved who did not (16.92%, n = 11; OR = 3.41, 95% CI: 1.59, 7.36). CG was associated with significantly greater PTSD severity, functional impairment, trauma-related guilt, and lifetime suicide attempts. Complicated grief was prevalent and associated with adverse psychosocial outcomes in veterans and service members with combat-related PTSD. Clinicians working with this population should inquire about bereavement, including loss of a FSM, and screen for CG. Additional research examining CG in this population is needed.