Introduction
The Inventory of Complicated Grief asks about experiences after someone has died, including preoccupation, painful memories, disbelief and difficulty reconnecting with ordinary activities. Its 19 statements organise several ways that loss can affect daily life.
Grief is shaped by the relationship, circumstances of the death, time since the loss and cultural practices. The same response can therefore carry different meaning for different people. Examples of what remains difficult and what support is available give the questionnaire context.
PHQ-9 focuses on depressive symptoms more generally, while this inventory centres on the loss and the relationship with the person who died. Keeping that distinction helps avoid treating every painful response to bereavement as the same experience.
Instructions
For each statement below, please select the response that most accurately applies to how you are feeling.
Scoring and result metrics
The result page reports a local screening score for this questionnaire. Use the score range, any subscale scores, and the interpretation band together rather than treating one number as a diagnosis.
- Score range
- 0-76
- Items scored
- 19
- Result indicators
- Total score / Interpretation band when available
Score interpretation bands
- 0-25Lower impairment range
Scores of 25 and below are less likely to indicate significant impairment in social, general, mental, or physical health functioning, or in bodily pain.
- 26-76Elevated impairment range
Scores above 25 have been correlated with significantly more impairment in social, general, mental, and physical health functioning, and in bodily pain.
Interpretation bands summarize screening thresholds from the questionnaire source material. Higher scores usually indicate more of the measured concern unless the tool notes a different scoring rule.
Tool information
- Version
- 19 questions
- Administration
- Self-report
- Intended audience
- Bereaved adults reviewing persistent grief reactions, separation distress, and interference with daily functioning
Sources
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