TABLE 1.

ICD-11 and DSM-5-TR prolonged grief disorder criteria

ICD-11 prolonged grief disorder criteriaa	Proposed prolonged grief disorder criteria for DSM-5-TRb
History of bereavement after the death of a partner, parent, child, or other loved one	The death, at least 12 months ago, of a person who was close to the bereaved individual (for children and adolescents, at least 6 months ago).
At least one of the following symptoms: A persistent and pervasive longing for the deceased; a persistent and pervasive preoccupation with the deceased	Since the death, the development of a persistent grief response characterized by one or both of the following symptoms, which have been present most days to a clinically significant degree: intense yearning/longing for the deceased person, and preoccupation with thoughts or memories of the deceased person (in children and adolescents, preoccupation may focus on the circumstances of the death). In addition, the symptom(s) have occurred nearly every day for at least the last month.
At least one symptom of intense emotional pain: sadness, guilt, anger, denial, blame; difficulty accepting the death; feeling one has lost a part of one’s self; an inability to experience positive mood; emotional numbness; difficulty in engaging with social or other activities	Since the death, at least 3 of the following symptoms have been present most days to a clinically significant degree: identity disruption (e.g., feeling as though part of oneself has died) since the death; marked sense of disbelief about the death; avoidance of reminders that the person is dead (in children and adolescents, may be characterized by efforts to avoid reminders); intense emotional pain (e.g., anger, bitterness, sorrow) related to the death; difficulty reintegrating into one’s relationships and activities after the death (e.g., problems engaging with friends, pursuing interests, or planning for the future); emotional numbness (absence or marked reduction of emotional experience) as a result of the death; feeling that life is meaningless as a result of the death; intense loneliness as a result of the death. In addition, the symptoms have occurred nearly every day for at least the last month.
The disturbance causes significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.	The disturbance causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
Time and impairment: persisted for an abnormally long period of time (more than 6 months at a minimum); following the loss, clearly exceeding expected social, cultural, or religious norms for the individual’s culture and context	The duration and severity of the bereavement reaction clearly exceeds expected social, cultural or religious norms for the individual’s culture and context. The symptoms are not better explained by major depressive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, or another mental disorder, or attributable to the physiological effects of a substance (e.g., medication, alcohol) or another medical condition.

^aSource: Killikelly and Maercker (30).

^bSource: Moran M, “Board Approves New Prolonged Grief Disorder for DSM.” Psychiatric News, published online Oct 28, 2020 (https://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.pn.2020.11a12).