Intense grief attacks: An investigation into the factor structure of a bereavement-related phenomenon

Grief attacks are a highly distressing and potentially debilitating bereavement-related experience. Although empirical research on these intense eruptions of loss-related anguish is limited, the literature suggests that this phenomenon consists of a mixture of both panic attack and grief symptoms. The present study examined the factor structure of intense grief attack symptoms using data from 303 bereaved adults. The confirmatory factor analysis results corroborate the literature by supporting a two-factor model of the phenomenon. These findings not only support anecdotal and clinical accounts of grief attacks but also provide partial psychometric support for the Grief Attack Questionnaire in measuring these sudden, unanticipated, and overwhelming responses to bereavement.