Which of the following situations could cause functional grief?

• A. Starting a new hobby
• B. Winning a lottery jackpot
• C. Losing a close friend to a sudden accident
• D. Receiving a promotion at work

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of functional grief. Functional grief refers to a natural and healthy emotional response to a significant loss, allowing a person to process their emotions and eventually adapt to the change.
2. Step 2: Identify which situations involve a significant loss. Among the options, losing a close friend to a sudden accident represents a clear and impactful loss.
3. Step 3: Recognize that starting a new hobby, winning a lottery jackpot, and receiving a promotion are positive or neutral events, not losses, so they are unlikely to cause grief.
4. Step 4: Conclude that functional grief is most likely to occur in response to losing a close friend, as this situation involves emotional pain and adjustment to loss.
5. Step 5: Remember that functional grief is a normal process that helps individuals cope with loss, and it typically involves stages such as denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.