Differentiate between normal, prolonged, persistent and traumatic grief

Survivors are likely to experience deaths as traumatic if the loss is sudden, unexpected, untimely, often violent, and perceived as preventable, unjust, and resulting from an intentional human act. 

If the death involved violence or mutilation, or if the survivor believes that his/her loved one suffered during his/her final moments, then there is a high likelihood of mental anguish, an overwhelming sense of loss and difficulty accepting the death. 

They often struggle to make sense of what happened and may experience guilt, self-blame, and manifest preoccupation with the circumstances of the death and the deceased experience of suffering (Meichenbaum, 2016).  

Such shocking deaths may cause survivors to question their faith and experience “spiritual struggles.” (Pearlman et al., 2014).