Prolonged Grief Disorder

Prolonged Grief Disorder

• Prolonged grief disorder is a post-loss stress syndrome in which grief after a death remains intense and preoccupying longer than is expected according to social, cultural, or religious norms (a minimum of 6 months, according to the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 11th revision, or 12 months, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition). Persistent, intense yearning, longing, or preoccupation with the deceased person and other grief-related symptoms cause clinically significant distress and impairment.

• An estimated 3 to 10% of persons who are bereaved owing to a death by natural causes have prolonged grief disorder, with substantially higher percentages among persons whose bereavement is caused by death of a child or partner or is the result of a sudden, unexpected death (e.g., violence or suicide).

• A simple patient-reported rating scale can be used to screen and monitor persons with prolonged grief disorder.

• Clinical evaluation of possible prolonged grief disorder should also assess other mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol and substance use, suicide risk, and effects of symptoms on social and occupational functioning.

• Evidence-based grief-focused psychotherapies constitute first-line treatment. Antidepressant therapy has not shown efficacy for prolonged grief disorder but can be helpful for managing co-occurring depression symptoms.

Prolonged Grief

Prolonged grief disorder can follow the death of a loved one, especially the loss of a child or partner or death by violence or suicide. Evidence-based psychotherapy is the first-line treatment.