Complicated Grief in Children—The Perspectives of Experienced Professionals

Abstract

A total of 39 very experienced clinicians and researchers worldwide responded to a survey consisting of both structured and open-ended questions on complicated grief in children. The questions assessed their opinion on: a) what constitutes complicated grief in children; b) whether to develop a diagnosis for children as suggested for adults and, if so, would adult criteria be sufficient for children; and c) other aspects of normal and complicated grief in children. The analyses showed that the professionals struggled with defining complicated grief in children, although they agreed that the major defining aspects were intensity, duration, and longevity of reactions. They identified traumatic and delayed or inhibited grief as major types, and also agreed that adult criteria were inappropriate for children.