What is the significance of Maslow's hierarchy of needs in relation to grief?

• A. It is not relevant.
• B. Loss of safety and security can lead to grief when individuals feel their physical and emotional well-being is threatened.
• C. It only relates to self-actualization.
• D. It predicts exact duration.

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is how threats to basic needs shape the grief response. When a loss undermines safety and security—whether physically (health, housing, protection) or emotionally (predictability, support, stability)—the person’s sense of safety is shaken. That disruption makes grief feel especially overwhelming, because restoring safety becomes a central part of coping. While grief can ripple into belonging and esteem as relationships and self-worth are affected, the core link is that loss threatening safety triggers the emotional process of grief. This is why the statement that connects safety/security disruption to grief best captures Maslow’s relevance here, rather than suggestions that grief is unrelated, limited to self-actualization, or predictive of an exact duration.