Loading...
Complicated grief — which is characterized by difficulty in functioning, excessive guilt, a conviction that happiness is no longer possible, avoidance of reminders of the loss, and suicidal thoughts — occurs in roughly 7% of bereaved individuals. In this 20-week, four-arm, multicenter study, 395 adults with complicated grief (median time since loss, 2.3 years) were randomized to manual-based, complicated grief treatment (CGT; 16 sessions) specific for this disorder plus placebo, CGT plus citalopram (median, 40 mg/day), citalopram alone, or placebo alone. About two thirds of patients had concurrent major depression. Control groups received “CGT-informed” support from pharmacotherapists.
CGT, but not citalopram, was significantly more effectiv…