Grief reaction typically presents with which of the following symptoms?

Grief reaction, particularly in response to the loss of a loved one, can often present as transient feelings of sadness and major depressive symptoms, but it typically preserves the person's self-esteem. In processing grief, individuals may experience intense sadness and behavioral changes, but these often reflect an adjustment to loss rather than a chronic psychological disorder.

In this context, the distinction is that while symptoms may resemble those of major depression, they do not meet the full criteria for major depressive disorder. Instead, they are temporary responses rooted in the grief experience, indicating an adjustment response characterized by periods of low mood without the accompanying persistent decline in self-esteem.

Furthermore, while elements of guilt might be present in grief, they usually do not reach the level seen in other conditions where self-esteem might be severely affected. Full episodes of major depressive disorder or prolonged symptoms would require more severe or sustained changes in mood and functioning, which are not characteristic of a typical grief reaction. Similarly, cyclical mood fluctuations are more consistent with bipolar disorders than a straightforward grief response.