Researchers followed 1,735 people in Denmark over 10 years after their loss of loved one. 6% participants showed unabatingly high levels of grief symptoms, and these had a 88% higher hazard rate of dying from any cause over the time period than those with persistently low symptoms. The first group were likewise more likely to use healthcare services, with 186% higher odds of receiving talk therapy or other mental health services, and between 160% and 463% higher odds of being prescribed psychotropic medication. This is the first study on the long-term mortality rate and the use of healthcare in a large-scale cohort of bereaved persons. The results suggest that patients at risk for long-term ‘high grief’ may be identified in advance, and need additional support from the healthcare system.

A new study published in Environmental Research Letters.found dramatic differences in the health and climate burden from electricity use in the European Union, based on the source of energy that EU countries use. In places where coal or oil are the main energy source—including in Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece—the air quality-related health burdens can be up to 10 times greater than its climate burden.