In plain words
Prolonged grief disorder is a condition where grief stays intense and gets in the way of daily life long after a death or loss. It was added to the diagnostic manual in 2022. Grief after a pregnancy loss, a , or the death of a baby can be deep and long. Most grief softens over time. Prolonged grief disorder is considered when the longing, preoccupation, or sense of disbelief continues for many months and makes work, sleep, or relationships very hard. Grief is not an illness in itself. The point of the diagnosis is to tell normal mourning from a condition that needs help. A grieving mother can talk with a therapist who works with loss, and grief support groups can help too. If grief comes with thoughts of ending your life, call or text now.
The deeper version
Prolonged grief disorder was added to DSM-5-TR (American Psychiatric Association, 2022) as a condition requiring persistent, pervasive grief at least 12 months after bereavement in adults, with intense yearning or preoccupation and significant impairment. Prigerson and colleagues (PLoS Medicine, 2009) developed the diagnostic criteria that the manual adopted. In perinatal bereavement, prevalence estimates vary with the timing of assessment and the type of loss. Clinicians differentiate it from major depression, , and normative grief, which can overlap. Treatment evidence is still developing, with trials of grief-focused psychotherapy showing benefits in adults. The main controversy concerns whether perinatal losses should be assessed with the adult time threshold or a shorter one.
Where it comes up
- Grieving while postpartumPostpartum: Mind
- Partners and lossLoss and Complications
- Supporting someone through lossLoss and Complications
- Your body and heart after a miscarriageLoss and Complications
What mothers here say about prolonged grief disorder
No one has posted under this term yet.
Sources
- American Psychiatric Association — Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, text revision (DSM-5-TR, 2022)
- Prigerson HG et al. — Prolonged grief disorder: diagnostic criteria and rationale. PLoS Medicine (2009)