Bereavement Disorder is a significant functional impairment due to prolonged grief symptoms. It is also referred to as persistent complex bereavement disorder and complicated grief disorder (CGD). It is defined as a disorder when people are unable to resume normal activities within six months of the bereavement. Some of the symptoms include maladaptive thoughts and behaviours, social isolation, suicidal ideation and emotional dysregulation. It is difficult to predict who might be at risk of developing CGD symptoms. However some individuals might be more at risk than others due to their gender (more likely to be female), psychological problems (high stress, insecure attachments), support networks (lack of social supports), mental illness (mood disorders, pessimism tendencies) as well pre-existing conditions such as major depression, sleep disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Recent studies have demonstrated that psychotherapy may be beneficial in treating bereavement disorder.