Prolonged grief disorder and mental well-being are distinct, negatively related constructs that remain stable over time among MH17-bereaved people, and no aspects of criminal justice system involvement were related to prolonged grief or well-being levels after the criminal trial.
Key Findings
Results
Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) and mental well-being are distinct but negatively related constructs among people bereaved by homicidal loss.
The study used confirmatory factor analysis in a sample of MH17-bereaved people (N = 237)
PGD and well-being loaded onto separate factors, supporting the dual-continua model of mental health
The two constructs were negatively correlated, meaning higher grief levels were associated with lower well-being
The factor structure supported treating PGD and well-being as related but distinct continua rather than opposite ends of a single dimension
Results
The distinct factor structure of PGD and well-being was stable over time across the period surrounding the criminal trial.
Longitudinal confirmatory factor analysis was used to test measurement invariance across time points
The association between PGD and well-being appeared stable over time
The study examined this stability in the context of a criminal trial, providing a naturalistic longitudinal design
Prolonged grief disorder and well-being did not predict each other over time.
Cross-lagged associations between PGD and well-being were examined in the longitudinal structural model
PGD levels at earlier time points did not significantly predict well-being levels at later time points
Well-being levels at earlier time points did not significantly predict PGD levels at later time points
This finding suggests the two constructs, while correlated, follow relatively independent trajectories over time
Results
No aspects of criminal justice system (CJS) involvement were associated with PGD or well-being levels reported after the criminal trial.
CJS involvement variables were regressed on latent PGD and well-being levels in a structural model
Associations were examined while accounting for PGD and well-being levels reported before the criminal trial
No significant relationships were found between any aspects of CJS involvement and post-trial mental health outcomes
This finding raises questions about the generalizability of therapeutic jurisprudence frameworks to bereaved people involved in criminal proceedings
Methods
The study sample consisted of MH17 plane disaster bereaved individuals followed longitudinally across the context of a criminal trial.
Sample size was N = 237 MH17-bereaved people
MH17 refers to the Malaysia Airlines flight shot down in 2014, making this a case of mass homicidal bereavement
Data were collected before and after a criminal trial, enabling longitudinal analysis
Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling were the primary analytic methods
What This Means
This research suggests that grief and mental well-being are two separate but connected aspects of mental health among people who have lost loved ones to violence. Studying 237 people who lost family members in the MH17 plane disaster — which was treated as a criminal case — researchers found that prolonged grief disorder (a condition involving intense, long-lasting grief) and mental well-being are not simply opposites of each other. Instead, they are distinct dimensions that can and should be measured and treated separately. Importantly, this separation remained consistent over time and across the period of a major criminal trial.
The study also found that grief and well-being did not predict each other over time — meaning that high grief did not necessarily lead to declining well-being later, and vice versa. Additionally, and perhaps surprisingly, participation in the criminal justice process (such as involvement in the trial) did not appear to affect people's grief or well-being levels. This challenges the idea, sometimes called 'therapeutic jurisprudence,' that going through a criminal trial can be healing for bereaved family members.
These findings have practical implications for how mental health professionals support people who are grieving after violent loss. This research suggests that clinicians should assess both grief symptoms and well-being independently, since treating one may not automatically improve the other. It also raises questions about whether involvement in criminal proceedings provides the psychological benefit that is sometimes assumed, though more research is needed to confirm this finding in other populations and contexts.
Nijborg L, Westerhof G, Kunst M, de Keijser J, Lenferink L. (2026). Distinguishing prolonged grief and mental well-being after homicidal loss: a longitudinal factor analytic study in the context of a criminal trial.. European journal of psychotraumatology. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008066.2026.2713263