What term describes the psychological pain and sorrow felt in response to the loss of a loved one?

The term that most accurately describes the psychological pain and sorrow experienced in response to the loss of a loved one is "grief." This concept encompasses a wide range of emotional reactions, including sadness, longing, and the profound feeling of absence that follows such a loss. Emotional grief specifically refers to the personal, internal experience of that pain, making it a fitting descriptor for the psychological aspect of reacting to bereavement.

While "mourning" refers to the outward expressions of grief, such as the rituals and ceremonies followed after a death, and "bereavement" denotes the state of having lost someone close, it is the internal, deeply felt emotional grief that captures the psychological turmoil an individual endures. Sadness is a component of grief but does not encompass the full range of emotions and responses associated with losing a loved one. Hence, emotional grief is the most precise term for the described psychological pain and sorrow.