Major Depressive Disorder in People Coping with Grief or Loss

Key things to know What the evidence shows
How common is it? Not established
Is it more common among people coping with grief or loss? MDD risk can rise following bereavement
Are people coping with grief or loss at higher risk? Yes
How much higher is the risk? Varies by relationship to deceased and time since loss
How often can it be missed? High because symptoms may be attributed entirely to normal grief
Does it show up differently among people coping with grief or loss? Yes in differential context
How might it look different? Persistent pervasive depression/anhedonia versus grief focused predominantly on the loss
What commonly occurs alongside it? Prolonged grief disorder; PTSD; anxiety
What can it be confused with? Normal acute grief; prolonged grief disorder; adjustment disorder
Common screening tool PHQ-9
Separate screening tool for people coping with grief or loss None specifically for MDD

Most often taken Self-Assessments

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