66 - What Is Prolonged Grief Disorder and How Can Its Likelihood Be Reduced?

Abstract

Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) is a disturbance following the death of a partner, parent, child, or other person close to the bereaved. There is a persistent and pervasive grief response characterized by a longing for the deceased or a persistent preoccupation with the deceased accompanied by intense emotional pain (e.g., sadness, guilt, anger, denial, blame, difficulty accepting the death, feeling one has lost part of oneself, an inability to experience positive mood, emotional numbness, and/or difficulty in engaging in social or other activities). Estimates indicate that 10% to 12% of people experience grief that does not resolve naturally and persists for an indefinite period. All symptoms of grief are normal, but the combination of severity and duration is not. Risk factors for PGD include losses that were sudden and violent (including from COVID-19), childhood attachment issues, a lack of preparation for the death, hospital death, unnatural losses, and maladaptive cognitions. The COVID-19 pandemic is projected to cause an increase in PGD related to the difficulty of observing breathlessness, restricted visitation of people who are hospitalized or in nursing facilities, and social isolation. Proactive assessment of the risk factors for PGD before a death can increase the likelihood of relieving symptoms and bringing relief from disabling grief.