Exploring grief dynamics and psychometric validation in arabic populations: Factorial validity and mediating roles of resilience, life satisfaction, and religiosity

Background: Grief, a universally experienced response to death of a loved one, carries distinct emotional and behavioral dimensions. This study examines the psychometric properties and factorial validity of the Arabic adaptation of the Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG), along with mediation pathways between emotional distress (anxiety, depression, and stress) and grief dimensions, moderated by resilience, life satisfaction, and religiosity. Method: Data were collected from a sample of 423 Arabic-speaking adults residing in Libya and affected by the Libyan wars, ranging in age from 18 to 52 years (M = 29.93, SD = 6.73) Results: Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure, cognitive/emotional symptoms. Convergent validity showed significant positive correlations between ICG scores and measures of psychological distress (anxiety, r =.24; depression, r =.22). Discriminant validity was confirmed through negligible associations with resilience (r = -.25) and satisfaction with life (r = -.12). Mediation analyses identified resilience as a significant mediator in pathways from distress to grief symptoms (anxiety to cognitive/emotional symptoms via resilience, estimate =.13, p =.023). Satisfaction with life and religiosity displayed limited indirect effects, underscoring the dominant role of resilience. Conclusion: These findings reinforce the suitability of the Arabic ICG as a reliable tool for assessing grief in Arabic-speaking populations, while highlighting the protective role of resilience in grief management. Implications extend to culturally sensitive interventions and resilience-building therapeutic approaches.