Background: Bereavement is a potential medical problem as it has implications for health through possible associations with morbidity and mortality.
Objective: The aim of the present study was to ascertain if spousal bereavement is associated with physical and psychological parameters of illness.
Methods: A spousal bereavement register was created at a village general practice in the West Midlands of 122 spouses (4.9% of the practice population). After exclusion of 22, a sample of 100 had their medical records analysed for the periods of 12 months before and after bereavement.
Results: Between these two periods, the average number of consultations increased from 5.99 to 7.60 (P = 0.01), where the vast majority were for physical illness. Mean number of prescriptions increased from 8.54 to 9.15 per patient (P = 0.8) for physical illness and from 0.76 to 1.34 (P = 0.09) for psychological illness.
Conclusion: Bereavement can be viewed as a medical problem, but this is not borne out in prescribing and so care should be taken not to over-medicalize grief.