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Grief Bursts Years After Loss — SCE Palliative Medicine MCQ

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EasyBereavementGrief Bursts Years After LossSCE Palliative Medicine

A 70‑year‑old man whose wife died from cancer 3 years ago has maintained a good life—he volunteers, socialises and has a new partner. However, he breaks down crying at unexpected moments when reminded of his wife. He asks whether something is wrong with him. What should the bereavement counsellor say?

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Correct answer: C — This is entirely normal as the preferred next step

This man demonstrates functional adaptation—volunteering, socialising, and a new partnership—yet experiences triggered grief episodes, or “spasms of grief,” which the Royal College of Psychiatrists explicitly recognises as a normal part of bereavement. NHS guidance also affirms that powerful grief may unexpectedly recur for many months or years without signifying pathology. The absence of persistent functional impairment distinguishes his experience from prolonged grief disorder, which requires sustained distress and loss of functioning. Distractors A and B reflect outdated or maladaptive advice; D mislabels normal episodic grief as disorder; E incorrectly assumes grief must cease with a new relationship. Option C alone is evidence‑based and clinically accurate.

Reference: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/conditions-and-diseases/cancer/palliative-care