The process by which people adapt to loss. Complicated mourning: delayed or incomplete adaptation to loss.
Casarett D, Kutner JS and Abrahm J. Life after death: a practical approach to grief and bereavement. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2001; 134: pp. 208-215.
Mourning is defined as the public display of grief.
While grief focuses more on the internal or intrapsychic experience of loss, mourning emphasizes the external or public expressions of grief.
Consequently, mourning is influenced by one’s beliefs, religious practices, and cultural context.
There is obvious overlap between grief and mourning, with each influencing the other; it is often difficult to distinguish between the two. One’s public expression (i.e., mourning) of the emotional distress over the loss of a loved one (i.e., grief) is influenced by culturally determined beliefs, mores, and values.
