Relearning the World through Grief-Informed Case Formulation: A Critique of Prolonged Grief Disorder

Abstract

Drawing on existential and humanistic frameworks, this review article critically examines the diagnosis of prolonged grief disorder and questions the usefulness of reducing grieving to a fixed set of symptoms and timelines. It argues that such diagnostic approaches risk marginalizing individual and cultural variations in grieving and fail to honour the personal, contextual, and meaning-laden nature of bereavement. Through philosophical and psychological critique, the article proposes a person-centred and relational approach to grief. A grief-informed case formulation is suggested as a collaborative, context-sensitive practice that supports meaning-making without imposing psychiatric labels or pathologizing emotional suffering. Rather than viewing grief as a disorder to be treated, the article advocates for understanding it as a natural and potentially transformative human response and argues for integrating grief into the bereaved person’s life story as a way to relearn the world. Finally, the article calls for future research into alternative ways of approaching grief, including the use of grief-informed case formulation, metaphor, ritual, and artistic practices, which may offer richer, more humanizing, and community-building pathways for support and understanding.