A bereaved spouse says: 'It's been 14 months since my wife died and I still cry every day — something must be wrong with me.' What is the most appropriate nursing response?

COMPLICATED GRIEF vs NORMAL GRIEF: NORMAL GRIEF: Varies enormously between individuals; no set timeline; acute phase most intense first year; grief does not end — it transforms; sadness and missing the deceased indefinitely is NORMAL; COMPLICATED GRIEF (Prolonged Grief Disorder — DSM-5 2022): Persisting intense yearning; rumination about the deceased; emotional pain; difficulty accepting the death; feeling meaningless; social withdrawal — ALL still significantly present beyond 12 months (6 months for children); NURSING ASSESSMENT FOCUS: Is the person able to function (work, relationships, self-care)? Are they eating and sleeping? Are they experiencing suicidal ideation? Do they have social support?; THERAPEUTIC RESPONSE: Validate that grief is not a schedule; normalise ongoing sadness; assess for functioning and red flags; provide information about grief support resources; THE WRONG RESPONSES: Giving a timeline to 'be over it'; immediately pathologising normal grief; reassuring without assessment; INTERVENTION: Complicated grief may benefit from specialised Complicated Grief Treatment (CGT) — evidence-based therapy.