| Sumario: | AbstractBereaved individuals encounter the deceased through social media profiles, message histories, and algorithmic reminders, yet no validated instrument measures prolonged grief expressed through digital interactions. We developed and validated a multidimensional measure of digital-environment prolonged grief severity (DPGSS). Turkish bereaved adults (<italic>n</italic> = 577) bereaved at least 12 months earlier completed the DPGSS alongside grief, distress, and other less relevant measures, and 125 completed it again about three weeks later. Factor analyses supported a four-factor structure—digital separation distress and preoccupation, digital emotional responses, digital avoidance, and digital functional impairment—in 15 items. The correlated four-factor model fit the data well, outperforming a one-factor alternative. The DPGSS demonstrated strong internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and measurement invariance across nine demographic variables. Convergent associations with grief and distress, and negligible associations with rigidity and AI acceptance, supported its construct specificity. The DPGSS-15 is a reasonable tool for assessing digital prolonged grief.
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