Psych CASC / OSCE · General adult psychiatry — trauma and stressor-related
Explain prolonged grief and grief-focused therapy — CASC communication station
MRCPsych/FRANZCP-style communication station: explain PGD vs normal grief vs MDD, CGT rationale, limited medication role, cultural respect, and safety-netting after COVID bereavement.
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Target exams
Station brief
Format. Communication station, approximately 7–10 minutes active time after reading. You are the psychiatry registrar in the outpatient clinic. [3]
Candidate instructions. Explain that intense grief can remain impairing after many months and may meet criteria for prolonged grief disorder; distinguish this from ordinary mourning and from major depression; explain why grief-focused talking therapy is recommended; discuss limited role of tablets; respect cultural mourning; safety-net for suicidal thoughts. Check understanding. The examiner plays the patient. [1][3]
References5ShowHide
- [1]Shear K, Frank E, Houck PR, Reynolds CF 3rd Treatment of complicated grief: a randomized controlled trial JAMA, 2005.PMID 15928281
- [2]Simon NM, Saxe GN, Marmar CR Mental Health Disorders Related to COVID-19-Related Deaths JAMA, 2020.PMID 33044510
- [3]Simon NM, Shear MK, Reynolds CF, Cozza SJ, et al. Commentary on evidence in support of a grief-related condition as a DSM diagnosis Depress Anxiety, 2020.PMID 31916663
- [4]Moore BS, da Silva JP, Farias M Diagnosing Prolonged Grief Disorder: Cultural Challenges to the DSM-5-TR Criteria Cult Med Psychiatry, 2025.PMID 40830691
- [5]Shear MK, Reynolds CF 3rd, Simon NM, Zisook S, et al. Optimizing Treatment of Complicated Grief: A Randomized Clinical Trial JAMA Psychiatry, 2016.PMID 27276373