Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Sep 23:7:32609.
doi: 10.3402/ejpt.v7.32609. eCollection 2016.

Improving the understanding and treatment of complex grief: an important issue for psychotraumatology

Paul A Boelen  1   2
Affiliations

Improving the understanding and treatment of complex grief: an important issue for psychotraumatology

Paul A Boelen. Eur J Psychotraumatol. .

Abstract

In the Netherlands, every year 500,000 people are confronted with the death of a close relative. Many of these people experience little emotional distress. In some, bereavement precipitates severe grief, distress, and dysphoria. A small yet significant minority of bereaved individuals develops persistent and debilitating symptoms of persistent complex bereavement disorder (PCBD) (also termed prolonged grief disorder), posttraumatic stress disorder, and depression. Knowledge about early identification of, and preventive care for complex grief has increased. Moreover, in recent years there has been an increase in treatment options for people for whom loss leads to persistent psychological problems. That said, preventive and curative treatments are effective for some, but not all bereaved individuals experiencing distress and dysfunction following loss. This necessitates further research on the development, course, and treatment of various stages of complex grief, including PCBD.

Keywords: Grief; persistent complex bereavement disorder; prolonged grief disorder; stepped care; treatment.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

and funding There is no conflict of interest in the work described in this paper for the author.

References

    1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 4th ed. Washington, DC: Author; 2000. text rev.
    1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 5th ed. Washington, DC: Author; 2013.
    1. Beekman A.T.F, Van Os J, Van Marle H.J.C, Van Harten P.N. Stagering en profilering van psychiatrische stoornissen. Tijdschrift Voor Psychiatrie. 2012;54:915–920. - PubMed
    1. Boelen P.A, De Keijser J, Smid G. Cognitive behavioral variables mediate the impact of violent loss on post-loss psychopathology. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. 2015;7:382–390. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/tra0000018. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Boelen P.A, De Keijser J, Van den Hout M.A, Van den Bout J. Treatment of complicated grief: A comparison between cognitive behavioral therapy and supportive counseling. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 2007;75:277–284. - PubMed