Complicated grief as a disorder distinct from bereavement-related depression and anxiety: a replication study.
OBJECTIVE
This study sought to confirm in an independent, nonclinical study group previous work which demonstrated that the symptoms of complicated grief were distinct from the symptoms of bereavement related depression and anxiety.


METHODS
Data used in the analyses were derived from a group of 150 widowed individuals who were interviewed 6 months after their deceased spouses' hospital admission (study entry). Complicated grief was measured with a modified version of the Grief Measurement Scale. Principal axis factoring was used to determine the distinctiveness of complicated grief, depression, and anxiety.


RESULTS
The principal axis factoring showed that the symptoms of complicated grief loaded quite highly on the first (complicated grief) factor and loaded very poorly on the anxiety and depression factors.


CONCLUSIONS
The results confirmed the authors' previous findings demonstrating the distinction between symptoms of complicated grief and symptoms of bereavement-related depression and anxiety.
Prigerson
H G
HG
Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA, USA. Prigerson@V1.WPIC.PITT.EDU
Bierhals
A J
AJ
Kasl
S V
SV
Reynolds
C F
CF
Shear
M K
MK
Newsom
J T
JT
Jacobs
S
S
D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001601:Bereavement; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D017805:Widowhood / Q000523:psychology