This prospective study examined the unique predictors of grief and depressed mood in a sample of gay men (34 HIV positive, 69 HIV negative) who lost a close friend to AIDS. Individuals low in self-esteem reported greater depressed mood but no differences in grief following the death. Individuals with personality factors that predispose toward negative affect (e.g., negative affectivity, sensitizer style) were more likely to experience depressed mood but not grief. Other factors also differentially predicted grief and depressed mood. Results suggest that there are distinctive antecedents to grief and depressed mood. Theoretical distinctions between depressed mood and grief are discussed.