Types of Grief Handout

No. This is not an exhaustive list - these are just some of the most common grief types. There are other types of grief such as preparatory grief (in which a dying person grieves the loss of their own health and life) and collective grief (in which a tragedy affects an entire community or group e.g. death of a leader, terrorist attack). Grief is a fluid and diverse process, meaning there is no right or wrong or fixed way to conceptualize grief types.

PGD, or complicated grief, is a mental disorder in which intense, prolonged and persistent longing for the person or thing lost interferes with the individual's functioning. It is characterized by intense reactions to loss over an extended period of time, and often presents very similarly to depression. People are more likely to experience complicated grief if they have preexisting mental health difficulties.

The five phases of grief are a useful psychological concept for understanding and distinguishing the common emotional and cognitive experiences of grieving. The phases are denial, anger, negotiation (or bargaining), depression, and acceptance. They have no set order, and the person may return to the same state multiple times.