Alcune riflessioni sulla nuova diagnosi del DSM-5-TR di "Disturbo da lutto prolungato"

When does grief after losing a loved one continue for so long that it should be considered a mental disorder? After a lengthy period of controversy and research, both DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 have introduced a new category, "Prolonged grief disorder" (PGD), that allows for the diagnosis of a grief disorder in patients who are having substantial grief feelings after either one year (in DSM-5-TR) or six months (in ICD-11). Some reflections are made on various ways in which the definitions of these disorders may fail to reflect the complexity and variability of grief and thus mistake normal grief for a mental disorder. Then five arguments put forward by proponents to support the validity of the criteria for prolonged grief disorder are reviewed and it is argued that each of the arguments is seriously flawed. It is concluded that many doubts and problems remain, and the new category should be used with caution.