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Two Psychosocial Interventions for Complicated Grief: Review of Principles and Evidence Base

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Clinical Handbook of Bereavement and Grief Reactions

Part of the book series: Current Clinical Psychiatry ((CCPSY))

Abstract

Complicated grief (CG) is a persistent, impairing response to the death of the loved one. CG affects approximately 7% of bereaved individuals and is distinct from other disorders including major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Several theories attempt to explain the phenomenology of CG and underscore the role of maladaptive cognitions about the death, avoidance behavior, insufficient integration of the death into one’s autobiographical memory, poor coping response, and disruption of biobehavioral attachment systems. This chapter will review two evidence-based treatments—cognitive behavior therapy and complicated grief treatment—found effective for the treatment of CG.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders and Complicated Grief Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Emily B. O’Day B.A. & Elizabeth M. Goetter Ph.D.

  2. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Elizabeth M. Goetter Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Emily B. O’Day B.A.
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  2. Elizabeth M. Goetter Ph.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elizabeth M. Goetter Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Massachussetts General Hospital Department of Psychiatry, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Eric Bui

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O’Day, E.B., Goetter, E.M. (2018). Two Psychosocial Interventions for Complicated Grief: Review of Principles and Evidence Base. In: Bui, E. (eds) Clinical Handbook of Bereavement and Grief Reactions . Current Clinical Psychiatry. Humana Press, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65241-2_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65241-2_12

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-65240-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-65241-2

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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