Psychotherapeutic treatment for bereaved persons encountering grief difficulties following a drug-related death

Abstract

In this chapter, we first summarize current knowledge about the prevalence of severe grief reactions after the loss of a loved one and the newly introduced diagnosis of prolonged grief disorder (PGD). We briefly describe methods to assess PGD and discuss the limitations of self-report inventories, which are commonly used in research and clinical practice. We further review the research literature on healthcare utilization, including barriers to help seeking in connection with difficulties in the grieving process. The main focus of the chapter is on psychological treatments for grief-related difficulties after bereavement. Different treatment approaches (e.g., cognitive-behavioral therapies) and treatment formats (e.g., individual therapy, group therapy, internet-based therapy) are described, and the evidence base for these interventions is reviewed. We discuss the relevance of these treatments for bereaved who experience prolonged grief reactions after a drug-related death (DRD). We conclude with suggestions for how existing treatment manuals can be modified to meet the needs of the bereaved after DRD.