There are many types of grief, and each person may experience grief in a different way. Sometimes, grief can trigger depression, also known as major depressive disorder or clinical depression.
However, both conditions can occur separately. In some cases, grief becomes prolonged and may resemble depression.
Read on to learn more about the link between grief and depression, including how to distinguish them, treatment, and support.
Can grief turn into depression?
In some cases, grief may cause clinical depression.
In other cases, you may experience depressive symptoms as a temporary trait of grief. For some people, this doesn’t mean they have clinical depression, but that their grief is currently presenting as symptoms of depression.
You may then go on to experience other manifestations of grief, such as disbelief, separation distress, and recovery.
Grief and depression can also remain separate. Doctors have specific criteria for distinguishing depression. Not everyone who experiences grief will experience depression, and not everyone with depression has it due to grief.
When you experience a loss, feeling intense sadness or low mood is an expected reaction. While grief and depression share similar symptoms and can exist at the same time, there are clear distinctions between the two.
Among other criteria, doctors may diagnose clinical depression if you experience some of the following symptoms every day for most of the day, for at least 2 weeks:
- depressed, irritable, or low mood
- loss of interest in activities you typically enjoy
- unintentional weight changes
- changes in appetite
- sleep problems
- agitation
- fatigue or lack of efficiency
- feelings of worthlessness or severe guilt
- frequent thoughts of death or suicide
- symptoms affect your daily activities
Grief can present very differently depending on personal factors. Some common experiences include:
- shock
- sadness
- tearfulness
- numbness
- denial or disbelief
- anger
- guilt
- difficulty concentrating
- physical symptoms, such as chest tightness or upset stomach
- trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
- loss of interest in activities you typically enjoy
Key differences between grief and depression
One key symptom that helps separate grief from depression is if your symptoms of low mood specifically link to someone’s death.
Other key differences include:
- With grief, some people describe their painful feelings as coming in waves, and that they are mixed with positive memories of the person who died. With depression, feelings may be mostly negative.
- Depression commonly leads to lower self-esteem, feelings of worthlessness, or self-loathing. These feelings are less common with grief.
- Low mood due to grief can be an expected reaction. As a result, some experts believe some cases of low mood due to grief should not be diagnosed as depression, as they are a typical reaction rather than a mental health condition.
Previous editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) advised doctors not to diagnose depression in people in the 2 months following a death.
However, the current edition of the DSM has slightly updated this guidance, and doctors can partially use their own judgment to diagnose depression during times of grief.
For example, some doctors may diagnose depression alongside grief as they believe that severe feelings of depression due to loss may benefit from medical treatment.
Prolonged grief vs. depression
Many people recover from grief within a year. If it lasts longer or is severe, doctors refer to it as prolonged grief disorder.
Prolonged grief is a type of grief complication. Complicated grief can look a lot like depression and may trigger or worsen depression symptoms in some cases.
Still, specific symptoms can help distinguish prolonged grief from depression, including:
- preoccupied thoughts about the person who died
- intense, painful emotions for more than 1 year after a loss in adults, or for more than 6 months in adolescents and children
- difficulty adapting to the loss
- difficulty accepting the reality of death or avoiding reminders that the person is dead
- identity disruption, such as feeling like you have changed or part of you has died
- feelings of grief that exceed your cultural or religious norms
- intense loneliness
- yearning or sorrow
Deaths with traumatic circumstances may increase the risk of prolonged grief, such as:
- the death of a spouse, a child, or a parent in childhood
- sudden, unexpected, or shocking deaths
- multiple deaths
If you experience these symptoms or events, you may have prolonged grief disorder rather than depression. However, it’s possible to experience both conditions at the same time.
Read more about complicated grief, including its symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.
Talk with a doctor, psychiatrist, or mental health professional if you have any questions about grief, depression, or your symptoms.
They can help diagnose any conditions you may be experiencing, including complicated grief or depression.
Getting support can help you recover and adapt. Many effective treatment options are available for grief and depression. Support can also help prevent depression or grief from becoming chronic and further affecting your health and well-being.
Treatment and self-care
Approaches for treating or managing grief depend on the person. In some cases, people may not need professional support.
However, some people may find professional treatment beneficial. Examples of treatments for grief include:
- psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy or behavioral activation, whereby you practice positive behaviors to encourage positive emotions
- grief counseling
- occupational therapy or social care, if you depended on the person who died for your care
- medications, such as antidepressants for prolonged or complicated grief
For depression, medical treatments such as antidepressants, psychotherapy, and counseling can also help.
Read more about treatment options for depression.
Self-care can also help you manage grief, depression, or both, including:
- creating a routine
- getting regular physical activity
- getting enough good quality sleep
- restarting activities that you enjoy
- talking with supportive friends or family
- joining a social support group
If you’d like further support for coping with grief or depression, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) runs a directory for finding low cost and insurance-based mental health care.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) also provides a list of immediate and long-term support contacts for mental health.
A doctor or local health center can also direct you to local care, social support groups, and mental health programs.
If someone you know is at immediate risk of harming themselves or others, or at risk of suicide:
- Even if it’s tough, ask, “Are you considering suicide?”
- Listen without judgment.
- Call 911 or your local emergency number.
- Stay with them until emergency services arrive.
- Try to remove any weapons, medications, or other potentially harmful items if it is safe to do so.
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline:
- Call 988
- Chat with the lifeline
This service is available 24/7.
In some cases, grief can turn into depression. You may experience depression as a temporary stage of processing grief. Some people also experience prolonged grief, whereby it takes a long time to process or adapt to grief.
Grief, prolonged grief, and depression can have very similar symptoms and may resemble each other.
Talk with a doctor if you have any questions about grief, depression, or your mental health. They can offer further support and recommend any necessary treatment, such as psychotherapy or medication.