Which of the following is a question in the Brief Grief Questionnaire screening
tool used to assess complicated grief?
a. Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking since your loved one
died?
b. How much are you feeling cut off or distant from other people since your
loved one died, even people you used to be close to, like family or
friends?
c. In the past two weeks, has the yearning been distressing to you or
disruptive to your daily routine?
d. In the past two weeks, how often have you been bothered by feeling
down, depressed and hopeless?
The correct answer: B.
The Brief Grief Questionnaire is a 5-item screening tool which can be used to
identify people at high risk of complicated grief. Each question is numerically
scored with 0 (“not at all”), 1 (“somewhat”), or 2 (“a lot”). Individuals with scores
greater than or equal to 5 may benefit from referral to a trained mental health
provider. The questions are:
- How much of the time are you having trouble accepting the death of a
loved one? - How much does your grief interfere with your life?
- How much are you having images or thoughts of your loved one when
he or she died or other thoughts about the death that really bother
you? - Are there things that you used to do when your loved one was alive
that you don’t feel comfortable doing more, that you avoid? How much
are you avoiding these things? - How much are you feeling cut off or distant from other people since
your loved one died, even people you used to be close to, like family or
friends?
Answer A is not a part of the Brief Grief Questionnaire, despite bearing a vague
resemblance to a question the CAGE questionnaire. Answer C is not a formal
part of this screening tool, despite the fact that patients with CG may experience
a yearning that disrupts their life. Answer D is a question from the patient health
questionnaire PQH-2 and PQH-9 screening tools for depression.
FAST FACTS AND CONCEPTS #254: Complicated grief
