ABSTRACT
Background
Research on grief has extensively categorised different characteristics that affect the grieving process, such as coping styles and risk factors. Despite this, there is still a relative lack of phenomenological descriptions of the typologies of grief complications.
Purpose
This study aimed to develop a comprehensive set of categories and typologies of grief complications through a qualitative analysis of therapeutic sessions conducted within the framework of Emotion-Focused Therapy for individuals experiencing Complicated Grief.
Method
Using ideal-type analysis and theoretically informed descriptive-interpretive qualitative research, the researchers analysed video and transcript data from 26 participants (76 sessions in total).
Findings
The study presents categories (e.g., multiple losses) of complications across seven domains, such as the nature of the death, the relationship with the deceased, emotional experiences and emotional difficulties, problematic self-treatments, symptoms and contextual stressors. Furthermore, six ideal types of grief complication were found: 1. Broken/Shocked by the Death; 2. Vulnerable Without You; 3. The Lost Paradise; 4. You Left Me All Alone; 5. Regret and Guilt Over Non-Action; 6. The Death Prevents Any Chance of Resolution of Conflicts.
Conclusions
The findings highlight that complications often emerge from core emotional processes (e.g., unresolved attachment injuries) rather than symptoms alone. This typology offers a phenomenologically and clinically relevant framework for understanding the heterogeneity of grief complications, suggesting a more tailored therapeutic approach for various types of grief complications.