Symptoms of prolonged grief and major depressive disorders: Distinctiveness and temporal relationship in the first 2 years of bereavement for family caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients.

PGD and MDD are distinct constructs, and PGD precedes onset of MDD. Clinicians should distinguish between these two disorders and address bereaved caregivers' PGD to reduce PGD-associated distress and morbidity and to prevent MDD onset, thereby improving their QOL.