Examining the Basic Assumption of Psychoanalytic Theory Regarding Normal and Abnormal Grief: Roles of Unfinished Businesses and Bereavement Related Guilt.

This article investigates the role of bereavement-related guilt as a mediator between unresolved pre-death relational conflict and maladaptive grief outcomes, specifically prolonged grief disorder (PGD) and depressive symptoms, within a psychoanalytic framework. Using a sample of 447 adults who lost a first-degree family member within the past five years, the study employed the Unfinished Business in Bereavement Scale (UBBS), Bereavement Guilt Scale (BGS), Prolonged Grief Disorder Scale (PG-13), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Results indicated that higher levels of unresolved conflict were associated with increased prolonged grief and depression symptoms, and these relationships were significantly mediated by feelings of guilt related to the bereavement. The findings support psychoanalytic theory's premise that ambivalent feelings and guilt stemming from conflictual pre-death relationships contribute to pathological grief, while also acknowledging limitations related to self-report measures and cross-sectional design. The study suggests clinical attention to unresolved relational conflicts and guilt may enhance grief interventions across therapeutic approaches.