Grief & Loss
Prolonged Grief Disorder (DSM-5-TR, new in TR)
Normal and complicated grief following bereavement, other losses, or life transitions. Prolonged grief disorder is now a DSM-5-TR diagnosis. Most grief does not require clinical intervention; therapy indicated when grief becomes prolonged or debilitating.
Prevalence: ~10% of bereaved develop prolonged grief
23 Therapeutic Approaches
Sorted by evidence tier: guideline-recommended first, then RCT-supported, then emerging/limited evidence.
Guideline-Recommended (2)
Integrative
Complicated Grief Treatment
M. Katherine Shear · 2005
Effect: d = 0.59 vs IPT
~50-70% response
APA: Recommended for prolonged grief disorder
Integrative
Prolonged Grief Disorder Treatment
M. Katherine Shear · 2005
APA: recognized for Prolonged Grief Disorder. VA/DoD: referenced in bereavement guidelines
RCT-Supported (16)
Trauma-Focused
Accelerated Resolution Therapy
Laney Rosenzweig · 2008
Trauma-Focused
EMDR
Francine Shapiro · 1989
Integrative
IPT
Klerman / Weissman · 1984
Humanistic
Life Review Therapy
Robert Butler · 1963
Expressive
Music Therapy
Nordoff / Robbins · 1950
Humanistic
Person-Centered Therapy
Carl Rogers · 1951
Humanistic
Play Therapy
Virginia Axline · 1947
Cognitive-Behavioral
TF-CBT
Cohen / Mannarino / Deblinger · 2006
Trauma-Focused
Adaptive Disclosure
Brett Litz & colleagues · 2017
Somatic
Advanced Integrative Therapy
Asha Clinton · 2002
Psychoanalytic
Analytical Psychology
Carl Jung · 1913
Integrative
Dual Process Model of Grief
Margaret Stroebe & Henk Schut · 1999
Existential-Humanistic
Process Group Therapy
Irvin Yalom · 1970
Expressive
Sandtray Therapy
Dora Kalff (Jungian) / Various · 1956
Psychoanalytic
Supportive Psychotherapy
Various (Rockland, Winston) · 1950
Integrative
Worden's Task Model of Mourning
J. William Worden · 1982
Emerging / Limited Evidence (5)
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