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Sad news.

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I'm Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

They say time heals all wounds. But for some people, it doesn't. Beset by grief for a loved one, their bereavement continues -- year after year of recurring pain, bitterness and anger.

Researcher Katherine Shear of the University of Pittsburgh has been examining these people, who have what's called "complicated grief." With support from the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Shear developed and tested a targeted treatment with specific techniques, such as imagining having a conversation with the person who died. The findings were in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Heather Chatterjee, who lost a daughter, Renee, participated in this treatment study:

"Part of the treatment was, why don't you talk to Renee? Why don't you say what you need to say? And I said it. I felt so good after saying it, because I knew she could hear me." (10 seconds)

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: August 10, 2005

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