Document Type
Blog Post
Publication Date
3-3-2022
Country
Global-No Country - 1
Abstract
Prolonged grief disorder has recently been added as a new diagnostic category to the American Psychology Association's manual of mental illnesses, usually referred to as the DSM. However, the diagnosis refers to grief at the loss of a "person." It excludes grief at the loss of a companion animals and yet there is evidence that people who lose a cherished pet may also experience prolonged grief disorder. Given that over 70 million US households include pets, if even a small percentage of people in those households experience prolonged grief disorder at the death of a pet, then the category would cover several hundred thousand people a year.
Recommended Citation
https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/animals-and-us/202203/can-bereaved-pet-owners-suffer-prolonged-grief-disorder
