Section - Quick Takes

04. Grief and the COVID-19 Pandemic in Older Adults

Published on October 1, 2020 Expired on April 1, 2023

James Phelps, M.D.

Research Editor - Psychopharmacology Institute

Key Points

Here are 2 experts reviewing for us the process of normal grief, how it can be derailed, and how COVID-19 can interfere.

To unlock this audio you need to become a Silver, Gold, Silver extended or Gold extended Member.

Check Our CME Program

Downloads for Offline Access

Download Audio File (MP3)

Text version

COVID-19 can cause severe illness and death. Our individual and community responses to the virus have all sorts of secondary consequences that have additional consequences, like grief, difficulty grieving, and the risk of prolonged grief.

Let’s look at a commentary on prolonged grief and COVID-19, with a focus on how our older patients experience these, from Joseph Goveas and Katherine Shear in The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry . They predict that we are going to see more cases of what the DSM-5 calls prolonged grief disorder. The authors remind us that bereavement is the experience of losing a loved one, and grief is the natural response to this loss. Dr. Shear is a psychiatry professor at Columbia University, where her team has developed a set of guides that you may find useful in helping patients through grief and are linked here . However, allow me to quickly summarize each,

Unlock this Quick Take and earn 0.50 CMEs
Become a Silver, Gold, Silver extended or Gold extended Member.

Get Instant Access

Already have an account? Sign in

Next Section

05. How Mental Health Care Should Change as a Consequence of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Learning Objectives:

After completing this activity, the learner will be able to:

Add to their knowledge of COVID-19’s impact on health and mental health an understanding of the central nervous system effects of the virus.
Compare the rates of suicidal ideation and physical abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic with rates from a previous survey (a risk of comparing apples with oranges, yes, but the gap may still be meaningful).
Examine the risk factors for COVID-19 infection that accompany clozapine treatment, from patient attributes to direct immune system effects.
Identify factors that facilitate and interfere with normal grief and how COVID-19 interacts with these factors to increase the likelihood of prolonged grief disorder.
Appreciate the breadth of changes in the management of mental health issues that could arise from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Original Release Date: October 1, 2020

Review and Re-release Date: March 1, 2023

Expiration Date: April 1, 2023

Relevant Financial Disclosures:

James Phelps declares the following interests:

- McGraw-Hill: book on bipolar disorder

- W.W. Norton & Co.: book on bipolar disorder

All of the relevant financial relationships listed above have been mitigated by Medical Academy and the Psychopharmacology Institute.

Contact Information: For questions regarding the content or access to this activity, contact us at support@psychopharmacologyinstitute.com

Instructions for Participation and Credit:

Participants must complete the activity online during the valid credit period that is noted above.

Follow these steps to earn CME credit:

View the required educational content provided on this course page.
Answer the quiz for promoting retention of knowledge.
Complete the Post Activity Evaluation for providing the necessary feedback for continuing accreditation purposes and for the development of future activities. NOTE: Completing the Post Activity Evaluation after the quiz is required to receive the earned credit.
Download your certificate.

Accreditation Statement

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint providership of Medical Academy LLC and the Psychopharmacology Institute. Medical Academy is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit Designation Statement

Medical Academy designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.