Perceptions of ideal grief and continuing bonds: Undergraduate student survey on persistent complex bereavement disorder

Abstract

Responding to DSM’s call for research on Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder (PCBD), this study examined to what extent people perceive the criteria as pathological. In total, 385 undergraduate students answered the Continuing Bonds Scale and Persistent Complex Bereavement Inventory as they believe an ideally healthy person of their demographic would respond 12 months post loss. People identifying as women, religious, without past bereavement, and who endorsed continuing bonds as normal tended to perceive PCBD criteria as more normative. Results shed light on whose norms may be reflected in criteria and highlight the importance of assessing client’s norms when diagnosing.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).