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Translate Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG)


Original Title

Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG)

Translated Title
Background

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<h3>About the Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG)</h3>
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The <strong>Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG)</strong> is a widely used self-report questionnaire designed to assess prolonged grief reactions, emotional distress after bereavement, separation-related distress, and difficulties adapting following the death of a loved one.
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The ICG was developed by <strong>Holly G. Prigerson</strong> and colleagues during the 1990s to identify symptoms associated with complicated grief, persistent grief reactions, and prolonged bereavement-related emotional difficulties.
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The questionnaire evaluates emotional pain, longing, disbelief, emotional numbness, social withdrawal, grief-related distress, bitterness, loneliness, and difficulty adjusting after loss.
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Research studies have demonstrated strong reliability and validity for the ICG across grief research, bereavement counseling, trauma studies, psychiatry, palliative care, and mental health settings.
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<h4>Psychological Domains Measured</h4>
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<strong>Separation Distress</strong>
<span>Measures yearning, longing, emotional attachment, and distress related to separation from the deceased person.</span>
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<strong>Emotional Pain and Longing</strong>
<span>Measures sadness, emotional suffering, loneliness, bitterness, grief-related pain, and emotional distress.</span>
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<strong>Difficulty Accepting the Loss</strong>
<span>Measures disbelief, emotional shock, difficulty accepting the death, and problems emotionally processing the loss.</span>
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<strong>Social and Emotional Disconnection</strong>
<span>Measures emotional numbness, reduced trust, social withdrawal, loneliness, and interpersonal disconnection after loss.</span>
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<strong>Traumatic Grief Reactions</strong>
<span>Measures intrusive grief experiences, emotional overwhelm, avoidance, distressing sensory experiences, and trauma-related grief reactions.</span>
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<strong>Grief-Related Preoccupation</strong>
<span>Measures persistent thoughts, mental preoccupation, emotional focus on the deceased person, and grief-related rumination.</span>
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The ICG is commonly used in grief counseling, bereavement research, trauma studies, psychiatry, palliative care, and mental health settings. The questionnaire is intended as a screening instrument and should not be used as a standalone diagnostic tool.
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Procedure

This questionnaire is designed to evaluate emotional, cognitive, interpersonal, and behavioral experiences associated with grief and bereavement after the death of a loved one.

Participants select the response option that best reflects how often they experience each grief-related thought, feeling, or emotional reaction.

The assessment focuses on longing, sadness, disbelief, emotional pain, loneliness, grief-related preoccupation, emotional disconnection, and difficulty adjusting after loss.

Participation

This assessment is designed for adolescents and adults who have experienced the death of a loved one and are interested in understanding grief-related emotional experiences and bereavement adjustment.

The questionnaire is intended for educational, screening, and research purposes only.

Results should not be considered a clinical diagnosis or substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric, grief counseling, or medical evaluation.

Scoring

Responses are scored according to the frequency and intensity of grief-related emotional experiences, separation distress, emotional pain, and difficulty adjusting after loss.

Higher scores generally indicate stronger prolonged grief reactions, emotional distress, grief-related preoccupation, loneliness, emotional pain, and difficulties adapting following bereavement.

Some items measure emotional numbness, disbelief, avoidance, social withdrawal, or trauma-related grief reactions associated with complicated grief experiences.

Dimensional scores are also calculated to evaluate specific grief-related psychological domains independently.

Questions

Question 1

I think about this person so much that it’s hard for me to do the things I normally do

Question 2

Memories of the person who died upset me

Question 3

I feel I cannot accept the death of the person who died

Question 4

I feel myself longing for the person who died

Question 5

I feel drawn to places and things associated with the person who died

Question 6

I can’t help feeling angry about his/her death

Question 7

I feel disbelief over what happened

Question 8

I feel stunned or dazed over what happened

Question 9

Ever since he/she died, it is hard for me to trust people.

Question 10

Ever since he/she died, I feel as if I have lost the ability to care about other people or I feel distant from people I care about

Question 11

I feel lonely a great deal of the time ever since he/she died

Question 12

I have pain in the same area of my body or have some of the same symptoms as the person who died

Question 13

I go out of my way to avoid reminders of the person who died

Question 14

I feel that life is empty without the person who died

Question 15

I hear the voice of the person who died speak to me

Question 16

I see the person who died stand before me

Question 17

I feel that it is unfair that I should live when this person died

Question 18

I feel bitter over this person’s death

Question 19

I feel envious of others who have not lost someone close

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