A businessman who had been employed at one company since graduating from college was recently downsized at work and is unemployed. He was always very proud of this job and is grieving the loss. What type of loss is this?

Question

a. Maturational
b. Situational
c. Actual
d. Perceived

Answer 1

C
People experience an actual loss when they can no longer touch, hear, see, or have near them valued people or objects. Examples include job loss. People experience maturational losses as they go through a lifetime of normal developmental processes. For example, when a child goes to school for the first time she will spend less time with her parents, leading to a change in the parent-child relationship. Situational loss occurs as a result of an unpredictable life event. A situ-ational loss often involves multiple losses. A divorce, for example, begins with the loss of a life companion, but often leads to financial strain and changes in living arrangements. Perceived losses are uniquely experienced by a grieving person and are often less obvious to others. A per-ceived loss is very real to the person who has had a loss. For example, a person perceives she is less loved by her parents and experiences a loss of self-esteem.