Social Support and Prolonged Grief Disorder Symptoms in Parents Who Lost Their Only Child From Urban and Rural China

Objective: The one-child policy has existed in China for more than 30 years. It brought benefits to the country's economic development and reduced the magnitude of the population within a short period. However, it has led to the emergence of a significant number of parents who have lost their only child, referred to as shiduers ((sic)(sic)(sic)). This study explored the symptoms of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) among shiduers and their relationship with the social support shiduers received after they lost the child, specifically accounting for the disparity between rural and urban areas. Method: In total, 405 participants were recruited with a mean age of 60.37 years (SD = 7.78). Around 68.75% were female, and 58.66% were urban shiduers. They were asked to complete a series of self-reported questionnaires, including demographic information, the Social Support Rate Scale, and the Prolonged Grief-13. Results: First, 29.63% of the participants (N = 120) fulfilled the International Classification of Diseases (11th rev.) diagnostic criteria for PGD symptoms; second, PGD symptoms of shiduers were negatively related to social support, including objective support, subjective support, and the availability of support; and third, urban/rural location moderated the effect of objective support on the PGD symptoms of shiduers, but not the effect of subjective support on PGD symptoms. Furthermore, the simple-slope tests indicated that the shiduers in rural areas benefited most from objective support. Conclusions: The present results revealed high rates of PGD symptoms in Chinese shiduers, and our findings highlight the important role of urban/rural location in the relationship between social support and PGD symptoms. Clinical Impact Statement This study could help government leaders and primary health care workers to create targeted programs for shiduers in the future, especially those living in rural areas.