Complicated Grief Therapy Effective in Bereaved Elderly

Bereavement becomes increasingly common with age, and complicated grief (CG) reactions can be common (almost 10% in older bereaved women) and often confused with depression. In a randomized trial in 151 older subjects with CG (mean age, 66; 28 men), researchers compared interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), commonly used to address grief reactions, with a more-targeted treatment, complicated grief therapy (CGT). CGT provides exposure to memories of the deceased to increase abreaction, alternating with promotion of outside activity to achieve a dual focus on the past and the future.

Although both treatments improved CG symptoms, response (clinician rating of at least “much improved” for CG symptoms) was twice as high with CGT than with IPT (70% …