Background: The eleventh revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) introduces Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) as a new diagnostic category. This paper summarizes methodological approaches and prevalence estimates of studies on PGD in ICD-11.
Methods: This review follows the JBI Manual of Evidence Synthesis and PRISMA-ScR guidelines. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and PsycINFO (2011-2024), along with grey literature sources (Web of Science, Science.gov, NDLTD Global ETD Search). Included studies were cross-sectional or longitudinal, evaluating PGD prevalence using ICD-11 criteria. Two reviewers (KN, SK) independently screened studies, with a third (SG) resolving disagreements. Methodological quality was not assessed. Data extraction covered bibliographic details, study period, location, sample characteristics, diagnostic tools, algorithms, and prevalence.
Results: Of 124 screened records, 35 studies were included in a qualitative synthesis. Seven main study categories emerged, primarily bereaved adults and representative national samples. Of 46 study samples, 24 were from Europe, followed by North America (n = 10) and Asia (n = 5), with none from South America. The PG-13 was the most commonly used tool, often omitting and raising ICD-11 PGD criteria simultaneously. ICD-11 PGD prevalence ranged from 1.5 to 15.3% in bereaved adults and 9.9-11.4% in national samples.
Conclusions: Findings reveal heterogeneous study populations but limited geographic diversity. Standardized PGD assessments aligned with ICD-11 criteria, using tools specifically designed for ICD-11, along with detailed sample reporting, are needed to improve study comparability and consistency of prevalence. Important gaps by geographical and demographic groups remain.
Keywords: Complicated grief; Epidemiology; ICD-11; Prolonged grief disorder; Psychiatry.
© 2025. The Author(s).