Question

When Kendall was in college, she discovered that she was pregnant. Since she was not ready to have a baby at that age, she went through a medical abortion. Post the procedure, Kendall felt very low and upset and could not grieve openly as she wanted to keep her pregnancy a secret from everyone. Years later, when she had a miscarriage, she started grieving for the baby she lost and for the baby she had aborted. In this scenario, identify the type of grief Kendall is most likely displaying.

A) complicated grief
B) prolonged grief
C) disenfranchised grief
D) extended grief

Answer 1

Kendall is experiencing disenfranchised grief, which occurs when one's mourning is not socially recognized or supported, as evidenced by her inability to openly grieve her medical abortion and subsequent miscarriage.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the scenario described, the type of grief that Kendall is most likely experiencing is C) disenfranchised grief. This type of grief occurs when an individual experiences a loss but is unable to openly express their mourning or feels their loss is not socially recognized or supported. In Kendall's case, she could not grieve openly after her medical abortion due to wanting to keep it secret, which is an example of a loss not being openly acknowledged. Later, experiencing a miscarriage may have re-triggered these complex emotions, thereby compounding her sense of loss with the earlier abortion and obtaining a disenfranchised nature. Disenfranchised grief can be particularly challenging because, without social support or recognition, an individual might struggle to find closure or feel they must grieve alone.