The Autism News | English


The American Psychiatric Association (APA) may soon redefine what we know as grief to depression, if symptoms last more than two weeks. The APA is the agency that literally writes the book on mental disorders, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM. Their words shape how doctors practice medicine, health insurance coverage and society’s views of mental diseases. In the current version of the DSM, the definition of a major depressive episode excludes situations that are clearly signs of bereavement. But the proposed changes to the latest version of the DSM may allow grieving patients to be lumped in with those diagnosed with major depression.

Could this change in the definition allow patients, who would otherwise be denied treatment, to receive the help they sought?

The answer isn’t clear. It would certainly make more people eligible for anti-depressant treatment. Mental health decisions are often difficult to make, by doctors and patients alike. When a patient comes to me with symptoms of depression it can be hard to know when to provide counseling alone and when to intervene with a behavioral change, dietary supplement or drug. The length and severity of the symptoms suggest the level of intervention needed, but everything has to be seen within the greater context of that person’s life. Simply calling grief “depression” blurs the distinction that the two have, it removes the context. Scientists from NYU and Columbia University have similar qualms with the removal of the “bereavement exclusion,” citing that scientific research has failed to prove that grief and major depression are the same.

Please share your reaction! Give your opinion by filling out the form below.

Share this news with friends, family, or colleagues by clicking on the shortcuts below: