Bereavement

Synonyms

Grief

Definition

The timeframe of mourning after a loss, especially after the death of a loved one.

Introduction

Losing a loved one is one of the most painful occurrences in life and thus considered an adverse life event in the psychological literature. The common reaction to such a loss is called bereavement or grief, which is often accompanied by a considerable decrease in psychological and physical well-being. Although grief is experienced as adversity, in most cases it is a normal response to a difficult life situation. In case grief persists for a prolonged time beyond what is considered an appropriate response and causes significant disturbances and impairment in daily life, this is called complex grief (CG). Synonyms are prolonged grief disorder and persistent complex bereavement disorder. Multiple factors determine whether a person is more likely to transition from a normal grief response to CG, such as personal characteristics and coping strategies, the type of...