Diagnosing complicated grief: a closer look

Over the past decade, a number of researchers have proposed a separate DSM category for complicated grief. Recently, there have been attempts to determine empirically the number and nature of variables comprising the complicated-grief syndrome. The present research addresses one such procedure for defining these variables. Combining a past methodology that demonstrated the relative utility of one classification of complicated grief (Worden, 1991) with dimensional concepts derived from other classifications, the present research concludes that a relatively small number of variables account for the concept. These findings are discussed not only in terms of previous research on Worden's categorization and more recent classifications, but, more importantly, in terms of the more global theoretical and methodological issues surrounding the definition(s) of complicated grief.