'Prolonged Grief Disorder'

It has long been recognised that some grieving seems to become stuck or take on characteristics that give concern. This report, Detection Of 'Prolonged Grief Disorder' May Help Bereaved Individuals adverts us to recent meta research enabling an algorithmic definition useful in psychiatric care: "researchers identified the most sensitive and specific algorithm for the diagnosis of PGD. This algorithm included yearning (physical or emotional suffering because of an unfulfilled desire for reunion with the deceased) and at least five of nine additional symptoms including emotional numbness, feeling that life is meaningless, and avoidance of the reality of the loss, which had to have persisted for at least 6 months after the bereavement and to be associated with functional impairment."
As those involved in the care of bereaved and traumatised, it is well for clergy, ordinands and church-based workers to be aware of this.