Multidimensional Nature of Grief: A Social Health Perspective on Grief-Related Loneliness

This narrative review focuses on the multidimensional nature of grief and examines grief-related loneliness from the perspectives of psychiatry and social work. The study is based on the premise that loneliness experienced during the grief process is not an individual deficiency but a social health problem produced and reinforced by social and institutional structures. Within this framework, grief is considered not only as an individual emotional response but also as a biopsychosocial process shaped by social support networks, social norms, and structural inequalities. The review addresses the psychiatric conceptualization of grief, the relationship between grief-related loneliness, social isolation, and mental health, and the role of social work in supporting individuals during the grief process. It also evaluates the need for integration between psychiatric interventions and social work practices and discusses the limitations of current approaches. In addition, the grief experiences of vulnerable populations and the social risks they face are examined, including individuals living alone, older adults, people with chronic or terminal illnesses, migrants and refugees, and LGBT individuals. The study highlights the similarities and differences between psychiatric and social work perspectives and proposes a framework for interdisciplinary integration. The findings suggest that comprehensive responses to grief-related loneliness require integrated intervention models that combine psychiatric and social work approaches and place social health at the center.