Treatment for Complicated Grief

Keep in mind that grief is a normal reaction to loss; therefore clinical intervention is not needed unless individuals are ineffectively coping or develop a psychiatric disorder in response to loss. Research suggests that traditional treatments for bereavement are generally inefficacious, and in some cases may be harmful. Although traditional grief therapies have emphasized the importance of expressing negative emotions associated with the loss, research suggests that this is not helpful and is associated with more persistent grief symptoms and worse outcomes. However, the expression of positive feelings has been consistently associated with a more rapid improvement and reduction in grief symptoms¹ .

Some suggestions for treating chronic or complicated grief are presented below. It may be helpful for you to access treatment information related to other behavioral health categories posted on this site, such as depression, PTSD, or substance use.

Psychological treatments

Iraq War Clinician Guide, 2nd Edition
Provides the most useful information about treating complicated grief in Iraq War veterans on page 75. It is recommended that providers help patients acknowledge the loss, provide education about grief, and encourage distraction and relaxation to provide temporary relief. This guide can also be viewed on the National Center for PTSD website.

In general, patients should be encouraged to use existing social support networks (friends, family, clergy) to prevent isolation. Patients may also benefit from developing new sources of support, including survivor peer support groups or military networking organizations.

Behavioral Interventions and Behavior Therapy

Pharmacological treatments

Some evidence suggests that antidepressants can be effective for chronic or complicated grief reactions.^1,2

References

¹ Mancini, A. D., & Bonanno, G. A. (in press). In J. E. Fisher & W. O'Donohue (Eds). Practitioner's guide to evidence-based psychotherapy. New York: Kluwer Academic

² National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Walter Reed Medical Center (2004). Iraq War Clinician's Guide