EPA-1337 – Validation of the italian version inventory of complicated grief (ICG): a study on complicated grief symptom profile

Abstract

Background A minority (9–20%) of subjects facing bereavement may develop symptoms of unresolved grief associated with significant distress and impairment that have been recently identified as a distinct post-loss syndrome named complicated grief. The Inventory of Complicated Grief is a self-report instrument to assess complicated grief. Aim of this study was to: 1) validate the Italian version of the Inventory of Complicated Grief; 2) provide additional evidence of complicated grief diagnosis through analysis of complicated grief symptoms in a clinical data set consisting of bereaved individuals with complicated grief, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, bipolar disorder and healthy controls. Methods 229 bereaved subjects were consecutively enrolled: 64 with complicated grief; 72 with post-traumatic stress disorder; 35 with bipolar disorder; 58 healthy controls. Assessments included: the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I disorders (SCID-I/P) and the Italian version of the Inventory of Complicated Grief. Results The mean total ICG score was significantly different among the study groups [F(3.228)=94.19, p Conclusions This study provides evidence of the validation of the Italian version of the ICG, tested in a large and well-characterized clinical help-seeking population. It also supports the proposition that complicated grief is an independent diagnosis.