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Neurobiology and treatment advances for prolonged grief disorder

Neuropsychopharmacology volume 49, pages 309–310 (2024)Cite this article

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Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) is a recently identified bereavement outcome added to DSM-5-TR in 2022. Loss of someone close is a major stressor, and ~7–10% of bereaved individuals develop PGD [1]. Core symptoms include intense, persistent yearning or preoccupation with the deceased, accompanied by at least 3 of 8 associated symptoms. PGD extends the period of acute grief, impairs functioning, and increases risk for a wide range of negative health outcomes.

The announcement of the new DSM disorder along with increased pandemic deaths has brought public awareness and need for PGD treatments. Targeted psychotherapy using psychological exercises to facilitate acceptance, promote the capacity to thrive, and address impediments to these processes is efficacious and widely used. However, no treatment works for everyone, and there remains a paucity of effective pharmacological interventions. The only randomized pharmacotherapy trial did not find an effect of the SSRI, citalopram [2]. Thus, elucidating biological underpinnings of interpersonal loss can help refine existing treatments and develop efficacious somatic interventions.

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Fig. 1: Advances in modeling loss and elucidating the neurobiology of prolonged grief disorder.

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Funding

Funding

ZRD is supported by NIH U01NS122124, DP2MH119427, R01MH125423, and NSF IOS-2045348.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology and Psychology & Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA

    Zoe R. Donaldson

  2. Columbia University School of Social Work and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, 10027, USA

    M. Katherine Shear

Authors
  1. Zoe R. Donaldson
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  2. M. Katherine Shear
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Contributions

ZRD and MKS wrote the paper and prepared the figure. Julie Sadino is also acknowledged for contributing to figure conceptualization and generation.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Zoe R. Donaldson or M. Katherine Shear.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Donaldson, Z.R., Shear, M.K. Neurobiology and treatment advances for prolonged grief disorder. Neuropsychopharmacol. 49, 309–310 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-023-01663-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-023-01663-8

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