Treatment of Complicated Grief

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Abstract
Many physicians are uncertain about how to identify bereaved individuals who need treatment, and what treatments work for bereavement-related mental health problems.1 Bereavement-related major depressive disorder is a well-recognized consequence of loss.2,3 Complicated grief also occurs in the aftermath of loss but needs to be differentiated from depression. Complicated grief can be reliably identified by administering the Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG)4 more than 6 months after the death of a loved one. Key features of complicated grief5,6 include (1) a sense of disbelief regarding the death; (2) anger and bitterness over the death; (3) recurrent pangs of painful emotions, with intense yearning and longing for the deceased; and (4) preoccupation with thoughts of the loved one, often including distressing intrusive thoughts related to the death.

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