07/24/2023
Prolonged Grief Disorder in the DSM
Prolonged grief disorder is the newest disorder to be added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). It is included in the text revision of DSM-5 (DSM-5-TR), which was released in March 2022.
After studies over several decades suggested that many people were experiencing persistent difficulties associated with bereavement that exceeded expected social, cultural, or religious expectations, and a two-year process of review and public comment, the disorder was added to DSM-5-TR.
The DSM is a publication of the American Psychiatric association. Some individuals may be at greater risk of developing prolonged grief disorder, including older adults and people with a history of depression or bipolar disorder. Caregivers, especially if they were caring for a partner or had experienced depression before the loss, are also at greater risk. The risk for prolonged grief is also greater when the death of the loved one happens very suddenly or under traumatic circumstances (Szuhany et al., 2021).
Prolonged grief disorder often occurs along with other mental disorders such as PTSD, anxiety or depression. Sleep problems are also common; an estimated 80% of people with prolonged grief disorder experience long-term poor sleep (Szuhany et al., 2021).
The inclusion of the diagnostic criteria for prolonged grief disorder in DSM-5-TR allows clinicians to use a common standard to differentiate between normal grief and this persistent, enduring, and disabling grief.
