Differentiating grief and depression.

The present paper offers a selective review of the relevant empirical literature that has attempted to outline the reaction of a person to the death of a spouse, and the manner in which this reaction differs from a clinically significant depressive disorder. This review indicates that although grief and depression may be similar in some ways (e.g., affective and behavioural disruption), they rarely are similar in terms of level of pathology in cognitive functioning. In light of this, it is recommended that caregivers working with the bereaved go beyond assessment of depressive symptomatology, and explore the personal meaning of the death for the grieving spouse.