skip to main content

Prolonged Grief Disorder — MRCPsych Paper B MCQ

Instant feedback + full explanation. One question, done properly.

ModerateMood DisordersProlonged Grief DisorderMRCPsych Paper B

A 65-year-old woman is reviewed 2 months after the death of her husband. She remains tearful and misses him, but continues to manage her home, see her family and attend her usual activities. She asks what would distinguish prolonged grief disorder from normal bereavement according to ICD-11. Which subsequent pattern would most strongly support this diagnosis?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

Reveal the answer and explanation

Correct answer: B — Persistent longing or preoccupation with intense emotional pain and functional impairment at least 6 months after the death, exceeding cultural norms

Explanation lettering: E = shown as C · C = shown as D · D = shown as E

B is correct. ICD-11 prolonged grief disorder involves a persistent and pervasive grief response centred on longing for, or preoccupation with, the deceased, accompanied by intense emotional pain. The response must persist for an atypically long period—at least 6 months after the death—exceed expected social, cultural or religious norms, and cause significant functional impairment. At only 2 months, this woman’s tearfulness and missing her husband, with preserved functioning, are compatible with normal bereavement. A resembles part of the duration criterion for a depressive episode but does not define prolonged grief disorder. C, D and E describe experiences that can occur in normal grief, particularly where adaptation and functioning are preserved or the response remains culturally expected.

Reference: NHS Education for Scotland, Support Around Death. Prolonged Grief Disorder/Complicated Grief: What is it and how can we help? ICD-11 Guidelines, slides 9–10, 2021. https://www.sad.scot.nhs.uk/media/16576/why-grief-gets-stuck-and-how-we-can-help-webinar-presentation-150421.pdf