BACKGROUND: Complicated grief has been described as a diagnosis candidate for DSM-V. On the basis of the stress response theory, Horowitz et al. [Am J Psychiatry 154 (1997) 904-10] characterized complicated grief as a combination of sustained intrusion, avoidance, and maladaptation symptoms following the loss of a close person. This study aimed at evaluating diagnostic criteria based on the stress response model of complicated grief. METHODS: We administered a symptom list derived from Horowitz et al.'s operationalization to a sample of bereaved persons and evaluated the psychometric properties of the symptom criteria and symptom category subscales. Using this symptom list and other self-report measures of psychopathology and normal grief reactions, we examined a German sample consisting of 75 participants who had lost either siblings, children, parents, or spouses, on average, 5.4 years prior to the study. RESULTS: Analyses confirmed the classification of symptoms into intrusion, avoidance, and failure-to-adapt categories with only minimal reordering (two symptom criteria). The symptom category subscales showed favourable psychometric characteristics, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses indicated high diagnostic accuracy of the symptom criteria, and predictive validation revealed a meaningful correlational pattern to standard measures of divergent psychopathology and normal grief reactions. CONCLUSIONS: The application of a stress response operationalization of complicated grief is supported.
BACKGROUND: Complicated grief has been described as a diagnosis candidate for DSM-V. On the basis of the stress response theory, Horowitz et al. [Am J Psychiatry 154 (1997) 904-10] characterized complicated grief as a combination of sustained intrusion, avoidance, and maladaptation symptoms following the loss of a close person. This study aimed at evaluating diagnostic criteria based on the stress response model of complicated grief. METHODS: We administered a symptom list derived from Horowitz et al.'s operationalization to a sample of bereaved persons and evaluated the psychometric properties of the symptom criteria and symptom category subscales. Using this symptom list and other self-report measures of psychopathology and normal grief reactions, we examined a German sample consisting of 75 participants who had lost either siblings, children, parents, or spouses, on average, 5.4 years prior to the study. RESULTS: Analyses confirmed the classification of symptoms into intrusion, avoidance, and failure-to-adapt categories with only minimal reordering (two symptom criteria). The symptom category subscales showed favourable psychometric characteristics, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses indicated high diagnostic accuracy of the symptom criteria, and predictive validation revealed a meaningful correlational pattern to standard measures of divergent psychopathology and normal grief reactions. CONCLUSIONS: The application of a stress response operationalization of complicated grief is supported.
Authors: Anne Germain; Katherine M Shear; Colleen Walsh; Daniel J Buysse; Timothy H Monk; Charles F Reynolds; Ellen Frank; Russell Silowash Journal: Death Stud Date: 2013-03
Authors: Anette Kersting; K Kroker; J Steinhard; K Lüdorff; U Wesselmann; P Ohrmann; V Arolt; T Suslow Journal: Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci Date: 2007-12 Impact factor: 5.270
Authors: Liliana Dell'osso; M Katherine Shear; Claudia Carmassi; Paola Rucci; Jack D Maser; Ellen Frank; Jean Endicott; Liliana Lorettu; Carlo A Altamura; Bernardo Carpiniello; Francesco Perris; Ciro Conversano; Antonio Ciapparelli; Marina Carlini; Nannina Sarno; Giovanni B Cassano Journal: Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health Date: 2008-01-28