Grief Disorder

Grief disorder is characterized by intense, persistent grief that extends beyond normative bereavement periods, significantly impairing social, occupational, and personal functioning. Etiologies include loss-related stressors, attachment patterns, pre-existing psychiatric vulnerability, and inadequate coping mechanisms. Patients may exhibit persistent yearning, emotional numbness, preoccupation with the deceased, and difficulty resuming normal activities. Diagnosis is based on standardized criteria requiring symptoms to persist for at least six months and cause functional impairment. Management involves grief-focused psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, supportive counseling, and pharmacotherapy when comorbid depression or anxiety is present. Early intervention promotes adaptive grief processing and improved long-term psychosocial outcomes.