Online Discussion on Complicated Grief

Earlier we posted about an article that will appear in the October/November issue of Scientific American Mind about new research into the underpinnings of complicated grief, which is described as when the painful emotions associated with grief are so severe and prolonged they interfere with a person's ability to accept the death and resume their own life. This may occur in 10 to 20 percent of the bereaved.

This past Monday, Washington Post staff writer Rob Stein and UCLA researcher Mary-Frances O'Connor were online to discuss the study.

Munich, Germany: How do you diagnose and discriminate between complicated grief and depression? Also, if a person suffers from complicated grief, is he or she more likely to suffer from depression?

Mary-Frances O'Connor: There are several questions that people have about the difference (and similarity) between complicated grief and depression. They are different, with different symptoms. However, about 1/3 of people with complicated grief also have depression (just like you can have depression and anxiety). In the study that I did, I specifically interviewed the participants to determine if they had depression, and I excluded anyone who did. So the brain activation that I report on is just from complicated grief.

So, what is the difference? Scientific research has shown that in depression there is a sad mood about everything (and it is often felt to be all one's fault), but with complicated grief, the sadness centers just on the deceased (and so does any guilt). In depression, there is also often a loss of interest or pleasure in things, where as with complicated grief, there is still pleasure from thinking about the person who has died. Complicated grief also has intrusive images and thoughts about the deceased that come unexpectedly, which is not the case with depression.