Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder (PCBD) is a disorder of grief newly included in the “Emerging Measures and Models” section of the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013 American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC : Author. [Google Scholar] ). Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) is a disorder with similar symptoms, likely to be included in the forthcoming 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11; World Health Organization, 1992 World Health Organization. (1992). International classification of diseases and related health problems (10th revision). Geneva, Switzerland : World Health Organization. [Google Scholar] ). We developed the Traumatic Grief Inventory Self-Report version (TGI-SR), an 18-item measure, for the assessment of symptoms of PCBD and PGD in clinical and research settings. This study was an initial attempt to evaluate psychometric properties of the TGI-SR. To this end, the measure was administered to 327 patients of a mental health institute specialized in the treatment of psychopathology associated with loss and trauma. We found evidence that items of the TGI-SR (all 18 items, as well as the selection of 17 items representing PCBD criteria, and 11 items representing PGD criteria) loaded on one dimension. The TGI-SR demonstrated strong internal consistency. Elevated scores on the TGI-SR were significantly correlated with elevated scores on indices of psychopathology and lower quality of life, attesting to the concurrent validity. Receiver operation characteristic (ROC) analyses of the TGI-SR total score against provisional diagnoses of PCBD and PGD yielded a high area under the curve index suggesting that the TGI-SR total score can be used as an indicator for probable diagnoses of both PCBD and PGD. Results of this study provide initial evidence that PCBD and PGD symptoms may be readily and reliably measured using the TGI-SR.

Purpose: Prior latent class analyses (LCA) have focused on people who were bereaved more than 6 months earlier. Research has yet to examine patterns and correlates of emotional responses in the first few months of bereavement. We examined whether subgroups could be identified among very recently (≤ 6 months) bereaved adults, based on their endorsement of symptoms of prolonged grief disorder (PGD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression. Associations of class membership with overall disturbed grief, PTSD, and depression—assessed concurrently and at 6 months follow-up—were examined. Furthermore, we examined differences between classes regarding socio-demographics, loss-related, and cognitive behavioural variables. Methods: PGD, PTSD, and depression self-report data from 322 Dutch individuals bereaved ≤ 6 months earlier were subjected to LCA; N = 159 completed the follow-up assessment. Correlates of class membership were examined. Results: Three classes were identified: a low symptom class (N = 114; 35.4%), a predominantly PGD class (N = 96; 29.8%), and a high symptom class (N = 112; 34.8%). PGD, PTSD, and depression scores (assessed concurrently and at 6 months follow-up) differed significantly between classes, such that low symptom class < predominantly PGD class < high symptom class. Being a woman, younger, more recently bereaved, experiencing deaths of a partner/child and unnatural losses, plus maladaptive cognitions and avoidance behaviours were associated with membership of the pervasive symptom classes. Conclusion: In the first 6 months of bereavement, meaningful subgroups of bereaved people can be distinguished, which highlights the relevance of early detection of people with elevated bereavement-related distress and offering them preventive interventions that foster adaptation to loss.

The Traumatic Grief Inventory Self-Report version (TGI-SR) is an 18-item self-report measure. It was designed to assess symptoms of Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder (PCBD) included in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-5 and Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) proposed by an international group of experts in grief. The research in this article used data from a bereaved patient sample and people who lost loved ones in the Ukrainian airplane crash in July 2014. Findings indicated that the TGI-SR is a reliable and valid tool to assess disturbed grief in research and to identify people needing a more comprehensive assessment of their grief in clinical settings.