摘要：Aim: Grief is a common reaction to loss and it is considered a physiological and instinctive response.
The "normal" grief evolves into an "integrated" phase within one year from death, and it is a nonpathological
condition, that does not require specific therapeutic interventions. When this “integrated
phase” does not occur, the subject could reach pathological manifestations related to the grief. The
Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder (PCBD) was proposed as a new category in the Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition. PCBD is a new clinical category characterized
by symptoms related to the detachment and to the post-traumatic distress and it differs from normal
and uncomplicated grief, for the disability caused by these reactions and their persistence and
pervasiveness.
Method: We examined reviews and studies of different researches done in the last twenty years,
concerning the issues of loss, "normal" and "complicated" mourning that led to the diagnostic category
of PCBD. For this review, we based our consideration starting from those pathological conditions that
preceded PCBD, as “pathological”, “complicated” and “traumatic” grief.
Results: PCBD results a new important clinical category showing specific symptoms, diagnostic criteria
and treatment. It presents many differences with other pathologies, which goes into differential
diagnosis with PCBD, and it and can be treated with targeted therapeutic approaches.
Conclusions: Diagnostic criteria for PCBD could allow early diagnosis and a correct treatment
avoiding underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis. Further researches could focus on the evaluation of more
neurobiological aspects, new psychometric tools, for assessing susceptibility to this pathology, and on
the cultural aspects that may influence mourning reactions, in an ethno-psychiatric perspective.
关键词：Grief;Pathological grief;Mourning;Bereavement;Complicated grief;Traumatic grief;prolonged grief disorder;Persistent and complex bereavement disorder;Loss;Death
