Worden tends to agree with Horowitz, that assessments for complicated grief should not be made until

• A. After 6 months
• B. After at least 3 months
• C. After the first anniversary
• D. A bereaved individual acknowledges that they are struggling and in need of additional intervention

Answer: (B)

The timing idea is that you don’t label someone’s grief as complicated until enough time has passed for normal bereavement to settle. Worden and Horowitz both argue that about three months after the loss is a reasonable point to assess for a maladaptive pattern, because by then most people have moved beyond the acute, natural waves of sorrow and you can better tell if distress is persisting and impairing functioning.

If symptoms like persistent yearning, numbness, intrusive thoughts about the loss, or significant problems in daily functioning linger beyond three months, that is when a formal evaluation for complicated grief becomes appropriate. Waiting longer, as in six months, risks delaying help for those who need it; waiting until the anniversary is too late for timely support; and requiring the bereaved to acknowledge they need intervention is unreliable as a criterion because the recognition of needing help may come late or be unclear.

So the best answer is after at least three months.