Grief Symptoms Are Often Prolonged and Onset of Symptoms Delayed in Those with ID
Losing a loved one is one of the most painful and distressing experiences that people encounter. Most individuals experience a typical bereavement period where they face feelings of sorrow, numbness, and anger. Gradually, these emotions fade. However, for some individuals, these feelings of loss are debilitating, long-lasting, and do not improve over time. This agonizing condition is known as complicated grief (CG). A new systematic literature review has investigated how this phenomenon affects individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID). The review’s key finding indicates that CG is prevalent in people with ID and is even more frequent in these individuals compared to the general population (33% vs. 9.8%). The review’s authors highlight that CG is a clinically significant condition within the ID population and suggest that doctors should be aware of the diagnosis. The study also discovered that grief symptoms for those with ID are often prolonged, and the onset of symptoms can be delayed. Consequently, due to these factors, CG is likely to be missed or misdiagnosed. Additionally, the review discovered that people with ID experience both traumatic grief and separation distress symptoms. However, separation distress symptoms are more frequent, highlighting possible vulnerabilities to attachment difficulties. Ultimately, the review calls for the development of valid and reliable CG assessment/screening tools for people with ID. These tools will allow for the accurate identification of CG cases and are crucial for developing appropriate treatment in this particular population.
