The daily life of complicated grief patients—What gets missed, what gets added?
Abstract
Many patients with complicated grief suffer severe symptoms for several years after the loss, interfering with daily life. We sought to determine which elements of a patient's daily routine were likely to be missed or added. Sixty-four patients completed a diary each evening for 2 weeks. The diary asked whether each of 13 daily life activities were done or missed on that day. Comparisons were made with 64 matched healthy control participants. Patients were significantly more likely than controls to miss contact with another person, breakfast, lunch, dinner, starting work, and going outside, and to add a nap and evening snack.
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In a 2-week diary investigation, bereaved people with complicated grief on average had fewer days they had contact with others, had breakfast, lunch, or dinner, started work, went outside, napped, or had an evening snack.
“In a 2-week diary investigation of activity patterns, it was demonstrated that bereaved people with CG on average had less days they had contact with others, had breakfast, lunch, or dinner, started work, went outside, napped or had an evening snack (Monk et al., 2006).”
From Emotion Regulatory Strategies in Complicated Grief: A Systematic Review (2021) · cites this paper as Monk et al., 2006
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- Authors
- Monk, T. H., Houck, P. R., & Katherine Shear, M.
- Affiliations
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (US)
- Corresponding author
- Monk, Timothy H.
- Venue
- Death Studies
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2006-01
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 77-85
- ISSN
- 0748-1187 (ISSN-L)
- 1091-7683
- OpenAlex
- W2054235909
- Cited by
- 47
- References
- 13
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 4 · 2015: 2 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 3.09
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Death Studies (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- U.S. Public Health Service (NAG9-1234, NNJ04HF76G)
- National Institute on Aging (AG 020677, R01AG013396, AG13396, P01AG020677)
- National Institute of Mental Health (MH-52247, P30MH052247, MH 060783, R01MH060783, MH30915)
- National Center for Research Resources (M01RR000056, RR 00056)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health
- Social Sciences › Anthropology › Death, Funerary Practices, and Mourning
- Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
- Keywords
- complicated grief, activities of daily living, daily routine, bereavement, activity diaries, social contact, dietary habits, sleep patterns, prolonged grief disorder
- MeSH terms
- Activities of Daily Living, Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Mental Disorders, Eating, Female, Grief, Humans, Male, Sleep Wake Disorders, Social Behavior, United States, Exercise
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