Prolonged grief disorder in bereaved parents: Exploring impacts and treatment pathways

Core Tip

Core Tip: Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) is a persistent and debilitating grief response that disproportionately affects bereaved parents. This minireview examines PGD’s prevalence, risk factors, and consequences, focusing on sex differences, cultural influences, and family dynamics. It highlights diagnostic complexities related to International Classification of Diseases, 11^th revision, and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5^th Edition, Text Revision criteria, as well as challenges in distinguishing PGD from normal grief, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The review further evaluates evidence-based treatments, including cognitive-behavioral therapy and emerging interventions, offering critical insights for clinicians and researchers working to improve support for bereaved parents.