The Physical Side of Grief: Physical Symptoms in Bereavement

The experience of grief and bereavement is an unfortunate part of the human experience. Both emotional and physiological responses to loss are normal reactions to bereavement. The aim of the study was to examine if the type of loss someone experienced was related to the magnitude of their expressed symptomology in a nonwidowed specific sample. Specifically, to determine if there is a difference in physical symptoms between participants who experienced grief due to an out-of-order loss (a death before the age of 55) versus those who experienced grief after a natural life progression loss (a death that occurs after the age of 80). Results confirmed that those who bereaved an out-of-order loss experienced significantly more symptomology, both emotional and physiological, than those who lost a loved one aged 55 or older. This study highlights the importance of identifying those at the highest risk for increased grief-related symptomology.