Recognize the spectrum, types, degrees, and relativity of loss across people, time, and place. Develop greater empathy with others in their experience of loss. Foundation of types of psychological disorders. Major loss causes distress and grief. Many other reactions also may ensue.
Loss needs to be differentiated from trauma, which is an unusual reaction to a major loss event.
The loss field may be construed as encompassing all of these areas. Ronnie Janoff-Bulman's 1992 book of that name says we entertain ideas that the world is benign, generally good and our experiences often are shown to be incorrect in our experiencing of the world. The world is meaningful. The self is worthy. All 3 terms, though, often are used interchangeably.