Prolonged Grief Disorder

This article provides a structured framework for identifying, diagnosing, and treating prolonged grief disorder (PGD) a newly recognized mental health condition characterized by pervasive, intense grief that persists beyond expected cultural or social norms. Affecting approximately 3–10% of bereaved individuals (with higher prevalence following sudden or traumatic losses), PGD presents with symptoms such as persistent yearning, emotional pain, identity disruption, and impaired functioning for 6–12 months post-loss (as defined by ICD-11 and DSM-5). The article emphasizes the importance of clinical interviews and validated screening tools like the Brief Grief Questionnaire and Prolonged Grief-13-R. Evidence-based psychotherapies especially prolonged-grief therapy are identified as first-line treatment, outperforming antidepressants and general depression-focused therapies. Core therapeutic components include guided exposure, narrative reconstruction of the loss, maladaptive thought restructuring, and behavioral activation. The article calls for clinician awareness, empathic engagement, and systemic investment in grief-informed care to restore adaptive functioning and prevent long-term psychiatric and physical health consequences.

This article provides a structured framework for identifying, diagnosing, and treating prolonged grief disorder (PGD) a newly recognized mental health condition characterized by pervasive, intense grief that persists beyond expected cultural or social norms. Affecting approximately 3–10% of bereaved individuals (with higher prevalence following sudden or traumatic losses), PGD presents with symptoms such as persistent yearning, emotional pain, identity disruption, and impaired functioning for 6–12 months post-loss (as defined by ICD-11 and DSM-5). The article emphasizes the importance of clinical interviews and validated screening tools like the Brief Grief Questionnaire and Prolonged Grief-13-R. Evidence-based psychotherapies especially prolonged-grief therapy are identified as first-line treatment, outperforming antidepressants and general depression-focused therapies. Core therapeutic components include guided exposure, narrative reconstruction of the loss, maladaptive thought restructuring, and behavioral activation. The article calls for clinician awareness, empathic engagement, and systemic investment in grief-informed care to restore adaptive functioning and prevent long-term psychiatric and physical health consequences.