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Prolonged Grief Disorder · Journal article
European Journal of Psychotraumatology · May 26, 2026
Early or partial results. Treat as a signal, not a conclusion.
MARBLES is a multi-region pooled data archive containing symptom and demographic data from 16,666 bereaved individuals across 32 datasets in nine countries, designed to advance research on Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD). Preliminary analyses report that 18.3% of participants met criteria for probable PGD (ICD-11), with mean participant age in the mid-40s, approximately 70% female, one in four having lost a partner, and one in four experiencing unnatural loss. This is a descriptive resource intended to evolve and facilitate future hypothesis-testing research rather than a completed confirmatory study.
Multi-region pooled data archive from 32 existing datasets. Bereaved individuals from 32 studies across nine countries; inclusion criteria for individual studies not specified.. n = 16,666. Nine countries (specific countries indicated by affiliations: Netherlands, Turkey, Brazil, Australia, Germany, Denmark, United Kingdom, China).
16,666 bereaved individuals' data compiled from 32 datasets across nine countries 18.3% of participants met criteria for probable PGD (ICD-11) Approximately 70% of participants were female
Heterogeneity across the 32 datasets and harmonization procedures not described; potential for selection bias within contributing studies not addressed
This archive provides a large, multi-region dataset for future research on PGD prevalence, mechanisms, and risk factors. Clinicians and researchers can use this resource to understand PGD epidemiology and inform hypothesis-driven investigations, though the preliminary prevalence estimate of 18.3% should be interpreted as descriptive data pending further validation across subgroups and settings.
This is a descriptive data archive and harmonization project presenting preliminary prevalence findings from a pooled dataset without comparative analysis, control groups, or hypothesis testing.
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This archive provides a large, multi-region dataset for future research on PGD prevalence, mechanisms, and risk factors. Clinicians and researchers can use this resource to understand PGD epidemiology and inform hypothesis-driven investigations, though the preliminary prevalence estimate of 18.3% should be interpreted as descriptive data pending further validation across subgroups and settings.
Graded across the dimensions that decide whether you should act, each from what the source actually supports. There is no single score, and where a dimension was not assessed it says so.
Introduction: Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) was newly included in the 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) and the text revision of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR). There is a need to increase our understanding of the prevalence, nature, and risk factors of this condition. Research in this area can be advanced by pooling existing datasets.Objective: The MARBLES (Multi-region Archive of Research data on Bereavement and Loss from Empirical Studies) project was initiated to create a consortium of researchers conducting studies on PGD. Its goal is to harmonize and combine data from separate studies into a unified, individual participant data-archive, boosting bereavement research.Methods: To date, data from 16,666 bereaved individuals have been compiled from 32 datasets across nine countries. All datasets include data on PGD symptoms and sociodemographic and loss characteristics; most also include data on emotion regulation and concurrent symptoms. For preliminary analyses presented in this paper, data on sociodemographic and loss-related characteristics and on PGD, posttraumatic stress, and depression symptoms were harmonized.Results: Regarding the preliminary analyses, participants' mean age was in their mid-40s, about 70% of the participants were female, one in four participants had lost a partner, and one in four participants experienced an unnatural loss. Analyses (with multiple imputation) indicated that 18.3% met criteria for probable PGD (ICD-11).Conclusion: The MARBLES archive demonstrates that it is feasible to build a FAIR archive of PGD symptom data. Although the archive can already be used to study the prevalence, pathogenesis, and predictors of PGD symptoms and associated emotional problems, it is intended as an evolving resource. Its potential will expand as additional datasets are added and use of the archive grows. Future extensions should prioritize the inclusion of underrepresented groups (e.g. migrants) and currently missing social, cognitive, and neurobiological variables.
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