Explain why Worden prefers using the term complicated mourning rather than the term abnormal grief.

• A. It isn't as harsh as the term abnormal, which makes it sound like something is seriously wrong with the person and carries a negative connotation
• B. It emphasizes that the grief is purely psychological
• C. It suggests the person has a physical illness
• D. It implies the grief will always resolve on its own

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is that terminology shapes how people understand grief. Worden favors the label complicated mourning because it describes the difficulty of the grieving process without labeling the person as defective or ill. Saying mourning is complicated acknowledges that the experience can be unusually persistent, disruptive, or intricate, influenced by many factors, while avoiding the harsh, stigmatizing implication that something is fundamentally wrong with the person. This framing invites support and intervention when needed, rather than pathologizing the bereaved.

The other ideas don’t fit as well. Describing the grief as purely psychological ignores the social, existential, and practical aspects that often shape how someone grieves. Suggesting a physical illness miscasts grief as a medical condition rather than a human experience influenced by context and meaning. And implying it will always resolve on its own contradicts the notion of a persistent, complicated process that may require coping strategies or help.