Social acknowledgment and posttraumatic growth among bereaved adult sons and daughters of security forces personnel: The interplay with continuing bonds and complicated grief

This retrospective study examined the relationship between social acknowledgment and post-traumatic growth (PTG) among bereaved adult sons and daughters of security forces personnel, focusing on the mediating roles of complicated grief (CG) and continuing bonds (CBs). The sample consists of 455 Israeli bereaved adult offspring, who lost a parent during childhood (mean age at loss: 7 years; mean time since loss: 45 years). Findings indicate that social acknowledgment is negatively associated with CG and positively associated with PTG. While CG is positively linked to CBs, it did not significantly predict PTG. The results reveal a serial mediation where social acknowledgment reduces CG, which in turn lowers CBs, ultimately reducing PTG (opposing signs of the direct effect of social acknowledgment on PTG). These findings highlight the complex grief processes among security forces-bereaved adult offspring and the importance of societal recognition in helping them navigate the impact of their loss to growth.