title: Persistent complex bereavement disorder in caregivers of terminally ill patients undergoing supportive-expressive treatment: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The proposal of persistent complex bereavement disorder (PCBD) in the DSM-V increased the interest on the impact of grief on the psychological health.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Investigating the time course of psychological symptoms, emotional and social abilities in caregivers (undergoing or not to supportive-expressive treatment) of terminally ill cancer patients from 1 months before loss to 14 months after it.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-three of 60 caregivers were assessed by PG-12, HAM-A, HAM-D, TAS-20 and ASQ, at the admission in Hospice, and after 3, 10 and 14 months from the loss. Twelve caregivers adhered to follow a supportive-expressive treatment and 21 caregivers did not.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PG-12, anxiety, and depression scores decreased in both groups over time. The score of difficulty in identifying emotions and confidence with closeness decreased significantly only in the treated-group. PG-12 score at T0 was able to predict the DSM V diagnosis of PCBD at T3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings showed a decrease of the anxiety, depression, security in the attachment style and an increase of the ability to identify emotions during the first year after loss in caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients. Pre-loss assessment of prolonged grief risk seems useful to predict the diagnosis of PCBD 1 year after loss.
authors.affiliation: a Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: b Psychiatry and Psychology Institute, Catholic University of Sacred Heart , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luciani
authors.affiliation: c Fondazione Roma Sanità , Rome , Italy , and.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Galli
authors.affiliation: c Fondazione Roma Sanità , Rome , Italy , and.
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Morelli
authors.affiliation: a Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moriconi
authors.affiliation: c Fondazione Roma Sanità , Rome , Italy , and.
authors.forename: Italo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Penco
authors.affiliation: d Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care , Catholic University of Sacred Heart , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aceto
authors.affiliation: c Fondazione Roma Sanità , Rome , Italy , and.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lombardo
mesh_terms: D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D001293:Attitude to Death; D001601:Bereavement; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D019452:Terminally Ill / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Attachment; alexithymia; anxiety; depression; grief psychotherapy; persistent complex bereavement disorder