The bereavement exclusion: Findings from a field study

摘要

Both the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, third edition (DSM-III) and fourth edition (DSM-IV) demand extra criteria (bereavement criteria) for an episode of depression which satisfies the criteria of major depression if that episode follows the death of a loved one. This is of paramount importance because bereavement is a victim-independent stressor with universal prevalence.Early results from a nationally representative study, the Lebanese Evaluation of the Burden and Needs of the Nation (LEBANON), show, that about one third of the worst episodes of depression experienced by the Lebanese have been precipitated by bereavement.