Which term describes the grief felt for a loss that society does not recognize?

Disenfranchised grief refers to the grief experienced when a person suffers a loss that is not openly acknowledged or socially supported. This type of grief often occurs in situations where the relationship to the deceased is not recognized, such as in cases of the death of an ex-partner, a pet, or when the loss is stigmatized, like in cases of suicide or overdose. Individuals may feel isolated in their grief because society does not validate their loss, leaving them without the emotional support typically afforded to those grieving recognized relationships or losses.

This term captures the essence of feeling unsupported in one's grieving process, making it crucial to understand in the context of how societal norms affect emotional experiences surrounding death. Other grief types, while they may involve elements of difficulty or prolongation, do not specifically address this aspect of societal validation in grief experiences.