The theoretical and conceptual evolution of the construct of grief in caregivers of patients with dementia
Serena Passoni, Annalisa Capacchione, Gabriella Bottini
In Italy, more than one million individuals are affected by dementia and there are around three million
caregivers, with a major impact at both family and social levels. Prolonged care of these patients induces
in their caregivers high levels of stress, anxiety, burden and depressive symptoms. Several studies
have recently focussed their attention on the concept of grief and the associated feeling of loss. The
progression of the patients’ cognitive impoverishment and impairment of social competences causes
intense grief in their caregivers, which can be compared to that experienced in the event of a real loss.
Here we provide a critical analysis of the theoretical aspects of the concept of pre-death grief in the
caregivers of patients with dementia, reviewing literature concerning clinical and intervention studies.
Keywords
Prolonged Grief Disorder, Persistent Complex Bereavement-Related Disorder,
Dementia, Caregiver, Cognitive behavioural therapy.
