Incidence of prolonged grief disorder in relatives of patients who die during or after admission in Intensive Care Unit

To determine the incidence of «Prolonged Grief Disorder» from one year after the death of a relative admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. A cross-sectional, longitudinal follow-up study was conducted in a general ICU of a reference hospital. The relatives were evaluated approximately one year after the death using the «Consensus Criteria for Prolonged Grief Disorder» as a tool. The prevalence between the first and second years was determined. A total of 151 relatives of patients who died in ICU were included. The follow-up was carried out 22.1±5.3 months after the death. Eleven relatives (10.3%) fulfilled the «Consensus Criteria for Prolonged Grief Disorder». Of all the grieving relatives, those identified with prolonged grief disorder are the ones who most often require psychological/psychiatric support. In a sample of close relatives of patients who died in ICU, a significant minority fulfilled the criteria for «Prolonged Grief Disorder» 1-2 years after the death. This condition, which is often overlooked, and could require some kind of psychological treatment, should be taken into consideration.