Prolonged grief disorder

Prolonged grief disorder (PGD), also known as complicated grief, traumatic grief, and persistent complex bereavement disorder, is a mental disorder consisting of a distinct set of symptoms following the death of a family member or close friend (i.e., bereavement). People with PGD are preoccupied by grief and feelings of loss to the point of clinically significant distress and impairment, which can manifest in a variety of symptoms including depression, emotional pain, emotional numbness, loneliness, identity disturbance and difficulty in managing interpersonal relationships. Difficulty accepting the loss is also common, which can present as rumination about the death, a strong desire for reunion with the departed, or disbelief that the death occurred. PGD is estimated to be experienced by about 10 percent of bereaved survivors, although rates vary substantially depending on populations sampled and definitions used.

In March 2022, PGD was added as a mental disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR). PGD is also in the eleventh revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). To meet diagnosis, symptoms must occur frequently (usually at least daily) and be present for at least 6–12 months.