A call to the field: complicated grief in the DSM-5.

While complicated grief has been addressed in part through some recommendations for modifications in the upcoming fifth version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), there remain reasons for substantial concern about its scope therein and within clinical practice. The authors issue a call to the field, reiterating that complicated grief is complicated and cannot be confined to just one syndrome or disorder. Continued research is urged, and specific caveats are identified for exploring the complex dimensions of loss and grief.

Prolonged grief disorder: Psychometric validation of criteria proposed for DSM-V and ICD-11.

Background: Bereavement is a universal experience, and its association with excess morbidity and mortality is well established. Nevertheless, grief becomes a serious health concern for a relative few. For such individuals, intense grief persists, is distressing and disabling, and may meet criteria as a distinct mental disorder.

An exploration of associations between separation anxiety in childhood and complicated grief in later life.

Recent studies have suggested that the vulnerability to complicated grief (CG) may be rooted in insecure attachment styles developed in childhood. The aim of this study was to examine the etiologic relevance of childhood separation anxiety (CSA) to the onset of CG relative to major depressive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder in bereaved individuals. The Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV, Inventory of Complicated Grief-Revised, and CSA items from the Panic Agoraphobic Spectrum Questionnaire were administered to 283 recently bereaved community-dwelling residents at an average of 10.

Breaking the cycles of violence.

Violence begets violence and it is important to understand how cycles of violence are perpetuated if we are to find solutions to the global problems they present. A multi-disciplinary group of The International Work Group on Death, Dying and Bereavement has developed a model of the cyclical events that perpetuate violence at all levels including the family, community, nation, and world. This includes the Violent Act(s), the Perception of the Violent Act(s), the Immediate Response, Legitimising Authority, Destructive Codes, and Inflammatory/Polarising Strategies.

Grief: lessons from the past, visions for the future.

Over the last millennium, patterns of mortality have changed and have determined who grieves and how. At all times grief has been recognized as a threat to physical and mental health. More recently the scientific study of bereavement has enabled us to quantify such effects and to develop theoretical explanations for them.