Normal grief is often a dysphoric experience that subsides after the death of a loved one. For some bereaved, grief becomes chronic and is associated with distress and impairment. The field has been slow to specify criteria for abnormal grief reactions. This has been an obstacle to development of treatments for these individuals. Observations of persistent symptoms that do not meet criteria for psychiatric disorder have been extensively reported in the literature, but only recently, with the "Inventory of Complicated Grief"(ICG) has there been a way of assessing deviant grief reactions. The ICG, a 19-item self-report questionnaire, has high internal consistency, convergent and criterion validity, and good reliability. Criterion-level symptoms comprise a syndrome resembling PTSD and clearly distinct from depression. The occurrence of this constellation 3 months after a death predicts poor mental and physical outcomes at 18 months. Because of the similarity to PTSD, the syndrome so identified has been named “traumatic grief” (TG). Unlike bereavement-related depression, TG appears to be unresponsive to antidepressant medication. We have developed an exposure-based therapy called "Traumatic Grief Treatment"(TGT). 17 patients experiencing TG, defined by score on the ICG, underwent structured diagnostic interview and symptom ratings. Ten completed the treatment. Grief symptoms were assessed at baseline and each therapy session. Treatment focused on imaginal re-experiencing of the death and in-vivo exposure to avoided activities/situations. We observed robust, statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements grief symptoms, as well as symptoms of anxiety and depression. TGT is a promising approach for individuals experiencing traumatic grief.
Learning Objectives: 1.) To be able to recognize the syndrome of Traumatic Grief. 2.) To understand the goals and procedures of a newly developed cognitive behavioral traumatic grief treatment
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship:
Affiliation Name of Organization
Grant Research Support Eli Lilly
Pfizer
SmithKline Beecham
Consultant Pfizer
Glaxo