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Bereavement and Complicated Grief

Current Psychiatry Reports volume 15, Article number: 406 (2013) Cite this article

Abstract

Bereavement is a common experience in adults aged 60 and older. Loss of a loved one usually leads to acute grief characterized by yearning and longing, decreased interest in ongoing activities, and frequent thoughts of the deceased. For most, acute grief naturally evolves into a state of integrated grief, where the bereaved is able to reengage with everyday activities and find interest or pleasure. About 7 % of bereaved older adults, however, will develop the mental health condition of Complicated Grief (CG). In CG, the movement from acute to integrated grief is derailed, and grief symptoms remain severe and impairing. This article reviews recent publications on the diagnosis of CG, risk factors for the condition and evidenced-based treatments for CG. Greater attention to CG detection and treatment in older adults is needed.

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Conflict of Interest

M. Katherine Shear has received grants from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, travel support from NIMH and compensation for expert testimony from a private individual.

Angela Ghesquiere is the recipient of an NIMH research fellowship in geriatric mental health services (T32 MH073553, PI: Bartels).

Kim Glickman declares that she has no conflict of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Columbia University School of Social Work, Room 829, 1255 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY, 10027, USA

    M. Katherine Shear

  2. Weill Cornell Medical College Psychiatry, 21 Bloomingdale Road, 7 South, White Plains, NY, 10605, USA

    Angela Ghesquiere

  3. Department of Social Sciences, School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, York College of the City University of New York, 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd., Jamaica, NY, 11451, USA

    Kim Glickman

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  1. M. Katherine Shear
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  2. Angela Ghesquiere
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  3. Kim Glickman
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Correspondence to M. Katherine Shear.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Geriatric Disorders

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Shear, M.K., Ghesquiere, A. & Glickman, K. Bereavement and Complicated Grief. Curr Psychiatry Rep 15, 406 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-013-0406-z

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Keywords

  • Complicated grief
  • Bereavement
  • Older adults
  • Grief
  • Loss
  • Attachment theory
  • Symptoms
  • Treatment
  • Psychiatry