Running head: THE EFFECTS OF GRIEF i

Bereavement and College Students: An Intervention Proposal

Kim Dehlin Zeiher

A Capstone Project in partial fulfillment of the

requirements for the Masters of Science Degree in

Counselor Education at

Winona State University

Spring, 2012
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Winona State University

College of Education

Counselor Education Department

CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL

__________________________

CAPSTONE PROJECT

___________________

The Effects of Grief and Bereavement in the Lives of College Students

This is to certify that the Capstone Project of

Kim Dehlin Zeiher

Has been approved by the faculty advisor and the CE 695 – Capstone Project

Course Instructor in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the

Master of Science Degree in

Counselor Education

Capstone Project Supervisor:

Veronica Johnson

Approval Date: May 1, 2012

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Abstract

The effect of bereavement in the lives of traditional age college students (18-23 years)

has the potential to significantly impact the students both personally and academically across

multiple dimensions. Issues related to age-specific development and the possible consequences

of bereavement will be addressed. Further, a proposal for the design and implementation of a

college or university program to address student bereavement needs will be addressed, along

with suggestions for evaluation.

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Contents

Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………….1

Review of Literature ……………………………………………………………………………...3

Discussion…………….........…………………………………………………………………….16

Author’s Note…………………………………….………………………………………………18

References ……………………………………………………………………………………….20
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Introduction

The prevalence of student bereavement on college campuses is significant and has far

reaching consequences for both affected students and institutions of higher education. This

paper will provide an overview of available information on the topic of college-age bereavement.

Further, it will provide information about developmental issues associated with young adulthood

and the potential implications for individuals who suffer the death of a loved one during this

critical time. Finally, the author will provide a proposal for university-sponsored initiatives that

have the potential to address the challenges faced by bereaving students.

Bereavement is the state of grieving the death of a person with whom the bereaved

individual has shared a significant relationship and must now endure the loss. “Relationships

with persons we care for combine both tangible and intangible elements. What matters is that the

person is gone forever, and that places us in a state of loss (what we call bereavement), eliciting

complex reactions (what we call grief), and finding expression in a myriad of ways (what we call

Mourning)” (Balk, 2011, p. 35).

According to Balk (2008), an estimated 22 to 30 percent of undergraduate students have

experienced the death of a close family member or friend within the past 12 months. Balk

(2001) also postulates that the percentage of bereaved students rises to between 35 and 48

percent when the timeframe is broadened to 24 months. For many such students the death

represents their first experience with significant loss. Knox (2007) suggests that often these

individuals lack experience with grief and may be ill prepared to deal with the intense emotions

that it invokes. Additionally, many college students live away from home and the support system

afforded by family and long-standing friendships. This results in the need to work through their
THE EFFECTS OF GRIEF 2
 

grief alone in an environment that rarely accommodates the needs of grieving students. The

college experience places significant demands on students as they strive to excel academically

and work to gain social and cultural competencies through their participation in extracurricular

endeavors. Bereavement has the potential to profoundly affect a student’s ability to accomplish

the day-to-day tasks and developmental transitions associated with young adulthood.

Additionally, student grief reactions have the capacity to undermine student academic success

and may ultimatily have a negative effect on the student’s ability to persist in college and to

accomplish their goal of graduation. Student atrition prior to graduation has implications for

both the affected student and for the college or university they attend. For this reason,

addressing issues of grief and bereavement as they affect students has potentially significant

ramifications from both a humanitarian view and from a retention perspective for colleges and

universities.
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Review of the Literature

Bereavement and the College Student’s Life Stage

Grieving the death of a loved one presents significant challenges regardless of the

bereaved individual’s age or life circumstances and can be especially daunting during times of

developmental transition. According to Graves and Larkin (2006) Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial

Theory holds that individuals develop in eight life stages. Each stage holds a psychosocial crisis

or task that needs to be resolved. This needs to be done in such a way that the individual is able

to incorporate the skills mastered in order to find the resolution of future stages. According to

Erikson, adolescence marks the time when physical and cognitive development coincide with

social expectations such that individuals are able to contemplate and structure their childhood

self-identity and begin to consider a workable transition to adulthood.

Greenberg (2002) explains that having completed the developmental tasks of

adolescence, traditional-aged college students are charged with the following tasks: the

establishment of emotional independence from their family, exploration of career options,

preparation for work after college, creation of emotionally-mature committed relationships and

development of a personal code of ethics. In establishing an autonomous identity, individuals

must, according to Balk (2011), move through the stages of autonomy to independence, develop

social competence, establish mature interpersonal relations, manage emotions, and develop

purpose and personal integrity. Choice of career is important because it establishes the

framework for the lifestyle in which the young adult will exist. It determines such things as

routine, physical and mental activity, social status, opportunities for career advancement, and

provides a context for expressing personal values. The formation of lasting adult relationships

requires young adults to form relationships based on a mature desire for intimacy and a solid
THE EFFECTS OF GRIEF 4
 

sense of self. Erikson (1983) held that a sufficient sense of personal identity is necessary for an

individual to sincerely experience intimacy with another person. Beyers (2010) explained that

Erikson argued strongly that adolescents who fail to find a suitable identity may have difficulty

forming and maintaining long-lasting close relationships with romantic partners. Autonomy is

defined as “the quality or state of being self-governing; especially: the right of self-government;

self-directing freedom and especially moral independence” (Merriam-Webster, n.d). Newman

and Newman (1991) explain that the creation of an autonomous self takes place as the individual

develops through young adulthood and reconciles the developmental challenges between

adolescence and adulthood, leading to a more differentiated, and higher-function self.

The experience of bereavment, according to Balk (2011) must be considered as an

influential factor in both the personal development and academic success of students. Tyson-

Bawson and Colletti-Wetzel (2001) state:

Whereas life transitions are catalysts for development of adaptive skills and coping

resources, when developmental life crises are accompanied by severe life events such as

the death of a friend, one would anticipate obstructions in development should coping

resources be inadequate to promote adaptation (p. 430).

Balk (2011) asserts that bereavement can have profound implications on the formative

development of college students. Traditionally, the college experience allows students an

opportunity to explore the questions, “Who am I, and how do I see myself in the world?” It is a

time of personal and intellectual exploration and provides the student with the opportunity to

focus on self-development.
THE EFFECTS OF GRIEF 5
 

College students faced with the death of a person with whom they have shared a

significant relationship learn at an early age about the unfairness of life and about one of life’s

most challenging trials. Balk (2011) further explains that the loss and subsequent challenges can

induce a deep turmoil of emotional and cognitive confusion that may challenge the individual’s

core assumptions about life and its meaning. Schwartzberg and Janoff-Bulman (1991) found that

the college student who had lost a parent exhibited a world view that differed from that of

students who had not experienced such a loss. The study demonstrated that bereaved students

see the world as less meaningful. It further suggested a positive connection between the grief

intensity and randomness and a negative correlation between beliefs associated with justice,

controllability and self-worth. Additionally, reporting the results of their study on the effects of

bereavement on college students, Ronanaff, Israel, Tremblay, O’Neill, and Roderick (1999) state

that students who experienced the death of a loved one exhibited lower self-worth, less

optimism, and a greater external locus of control than did students who had no such experience.

Issues of Greaving and Bereaved Students

Students dealing with grief resulting from the death of an individual with whom they

shared a close personal relationship may experience issues that increase the challenges of young

adulthood and negatively impact academic performance. In addition to shaping a stable and

authentic personal identity, college students are typically engaged in rigorous academic study,

face pressure to participate in extracurricular and social activities, and are increasingly

responsible for earning the funds necessary to support their education. Ironically, many people

hold and promote the idea that the college years are the best time of an individual’s life - a time

to explore, have fun, and hold off on some of the demands of adult life. The reality for students
THE EFFECTS OF GRIEF 6
 

who have lost a loved one, according to Balk (1998), is that the demands placed on students to

excel academically while meeting social and work commitments can seem overwhelming. Balk

further suggests that few students are aware of the prevalence of bereavement on college campus

and feel isolated in their experience.

Students experiencing bereavement may encounter a wide array of grief reactions. Balk

and Vesta (1998) explain that the symptoms of grief may affect the bereaved individual over a

number of dimensions, including physical, behavioral, social, cognitive, emotional and spirital

elements. The intensity and relative intricacy of the grief experience are affected by a number of

variables. Balk (1998) explains three factors that influence cognitive appraisal of a crisis:

1. Background and personal factor (e.g., family history in dealing with crises).

2. Event-related factors (e.g., the extent to which the crisis was anticipated).

3. Environmental factors (e.g., the quality of social support)

Balk continues that cognitive appraisal triggers coping skills as well as adaptive tasks. The

severity of bereavement-associated symptoms can be viewed on a continuum from minimal and

transitory to intensly disruptive and persistant. According to Balk, Lampe, Sharpe, Schwinn,

Holen, Cook, and Bubois (1998), complicated grief results when an individual suffers

significantly negative symptomology that culminates in an inability to succesfully adjust to the

loss of their loved one.

Physical Effects

Physical effects associated with bereavement, according to Reid and Dixon (2000)

includes insomnia, memory loss, diminished concentration, and loss of motivation. Due to the
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fact that students rarely seek health or mental health services with a complaint related to grief,

Janowial, Mei-Tal, and Drapkin (as cited in Hardison, Neimeyer & Lichstein, 2005) propose that

the symptoms of bereavement are often misinterpreted as indicators of stress. Further, they state

that most individuals are able to cope effectively with the symptoms of grief; however, for

approximately 40 percent of the bereaved, physical symptoms of grief are intense and can last a

year or longer. In fact, “there is incontrovertible evidence that the immune system is

compromised due to the distress of bereavement, thereby leaving persons vulnerable to

opportunistic diseases they would have otherwise successfully blocked” (Balk, 2011, p. 32).

Behavioral Effects

Behavioral effects, including the need to process the loss, can be especially challenging

for students because, for the most part, few of their peers have developed the knowledge, skills

or personal resilience to discuss the intensely emotional issues associated with the death of a

significant person in a friend’s life. Bereaved students often find that their peers are

uncomfortable with their sadness and find it difficult to be present to them in their grief. Further,

they often find that unaffected others underestimate the time it takes to process the death of a

loved one and may minimize the intensity of their experience. For these reasons, according to

Balk (2001), bereaved students often pull away from friends and classmates or try to minimize

what they are experiencing. In situations where friends pull away from the bereaved person, a

secondary loss with which to cope is created.

Social Effects

Social effects experienced by bereaved students can include feelings of isolation and

difficulty relating with peers. The necessities of academic life require bereaved students to
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return to school soon after the death of a close family member or friend. However, their

reentrance to college life can be marked by a sense of aloneness. A bereaved student returns to

campus having experienced an event that has impacted his or her life. He or she needs time to

process the experience and reestablish his or her identity in the absence of the person with whom

he or she shared a deep personal connection. Bereaved students are often unaware that other

students are also experiencing bereavement and may feel isolated and alone. Further, as

mentioned earlier, college is promoted as possibly the best time of one’s life. For students who

are processing grief, the expected social dynamic of college life is certainly inconsistant with

their experiences. Students may feel conflicted about being in an environment that seems

unaffected by and with individuals who seem unaffected by the loss of a person who was

important in the life of the student. Balk (1998) states:

Furthermore, for college students, resolution of bereavement can be complicated when

usual support networks to deal with the aftermath of a death exist but are not at the

student’s school (e.g., when the social support comes from friends and family in the

student’s home town where the death occurred). It can also be complicated when social

networks are ill-equipped to support the bereaved student (e.g., when isolation and

feelings of inadequacy in the midst of a large student population characterize the student

in need of help). (p.3)

Cognitive Effects

Cognitive effects related to grief may include a decrease in problem-solving ability and

difficulties with memory. Reid and Dixon (2000) note that following the death of a loved one,

bereaved students tend to experience a decrease in college grade point average and are at greater
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risk for attrition. Additionally, they suggest that a connection may exist between grief symptoms

and problem solving. They explain that decreases in the ability of students to focus their

attention, recall information and meet deadlines are also characteristic of the bereavement

experience. These are the very attributes necessary for academic success and yet institutions of

higher education typically do not have mechanisms that address these known obstacles during

times of grief. At best, current academic policies may allow for student appeal of academic

probation or suspension on the basis that their grades resulted from issues of bereavement.

However, without proactive interventions, bereaved students face the negative implications of

diminished success in their academic studies. Balk (2011) states, “Cognitive impacts of

bereavement can jeopardize a student’s academic record and career dreams should grades

plummet” (p.33). He further emphasizes that student grades fall during the first semester

following the death of a significant person in the student’s life.

Emotional Effects

The emotional effects of bereavement may include depression, lower self-confidence and

doubts regarding self-efficacy. According to Balk (2011), students may also feel sadness, guilt,

anger, fear, anxiety, dread, and confusion. Reid and Dixon (2000) argue that a correlation can be

drawn between the symptoms of grief and symptoms of depression. Further, in the wake of a

pivotal life crisis students may question their ability to effectively navigate life’s challenges and

the possibility that they can have a positive impact on the direction of their own life. Balk (2001)

states:

Fundamental losses can undermine an individual’s self-confidence and threaten the

person’s self-image. Bereaved college students may doubt that outcomes they desire are
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within their personal control. It is crucial for bereaved college students to maintain (or

regain) a sense of personal control and to believe that they can achieve the outcomes they

want. The intensity and duration of grief can lead to doubts that a sense of balance will

ever return. (p.70)

Spiritual Effects

The spiritual effects experienced by bereaved individuals include questioning one’s

beliefs and purpose in life. When a loved one dies, those left behind seek answers to the

existential question, “Why?” Attig (as cited in Balk, 2008, p.9 ) asserts that the spiritual effects

of bereavement foster questions about the interrelatedness and isolation of humankind as well as

questions related to the goodness and meaning of life, fairness and purpose. Mathews and

Servaty-Seib (2007) point out that when the deceased individual played a central role in the life

of the bereaved, the death results in an increased need for introspection, reorganization and

potentially the reassessment of values and life priorities. Balk (2011) suggests that bereavement

causes individuals to restructure their understanding of self, their connection to the world, and

their relationships with others.

Addressing Student Needs

Students suffering the loss of a close friend or family member may experience effects

across multiple dimensions. In the midst of bereavement, students may feel unsupported,

isolated, or disconnected from the college experience. These effects have the potential to

negatively impact the student’s ability to succeed in their coursework and ultimately may impact

the student’s ability to gain admission to desired academic programs. Additionally, for students

who suffer complicated or persistent grief reactions, the bereavement experience may become an
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obstacle that inhibits their ability to reach the goal of graduation. In the present economic

climate, student retention is essential to the economic well-being of academic institutions. For

these reasons, the development of college or university sponsored bereavement programming is

in the best interest of academic institutions and the students they serve.

To best address the needs of bereaved students, institutions must begin by developing

system-wide policies and procedures that ease the delivery of services to students during times of

need. This represents a fundamental shift from the current practices on many campuses, where

students are expected to self-advocate based on individual circumstances. Bereavement often

leaves the student in a vulnerable position and without a clear concept of what they need or how

best to have their needs met. In effect, institutions of higher learning place students in the

position of having to piece together resources and create communication pathways within the

institution at a time when they may be least able to accomplish these tasks.

Intervention Proposal

The following represents a proposal for the development of campus bereavement policy

and programming. The establishment of a multidisciplinary task force, made up of individuals

from diverse campus constituencies represents the initial step in developing interventions.

Suggested Task Force member could include constituents from the following: Registrars Office,

Student Life and Development division, Housing, Student Health Services, Counseling Center,

Athletics, Student Senate, and potentially, student and alumni representatives. Individuals on the

task force will collectively be charged with identifying campus-wide interventions that have the

potential to assist students who are dealing with the death of a close family member or friend.

The initial responsibility of the task force will be to conduct a campus-wide needs-assessment by
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gathering pertinent information from the departments or programs they represent. For example,

Campus Health Services might garner information about bereavement issues on campus through

additional questions on the annual surveys already utilized. Task force members can then

consider and formulate recommendations for institutional policies and procedures that address

the identified needs of bereaved students.

It is recommended that the Task Force meet weekly over the course of a semester.

During this time Task Force members will be charged with specific tasks, including the

facilitation of communication about the needs of bereaved students and suggestions for meeting

those needs. The second major task will be to work within the Task Force to assimilate the

information gathered from various departments in order to conceptualize and develop a system-

wide policy for interventions; these should be such that they can be applied fairly and equitably

across the in-need student population. One suggestion may be the establishment of student

bereavement leave. The guidelines for this policy could resemble the institution’s employee

bereavement leave policy (i.e., time off is determined relative to the relationship between the

student and the deceased). Another suggestion may be the development of an institutional policy

that provides a mechanism for students to withdraw from class, without penalty, if they are

unable to function in an academic setting due to the effects of bereavement. The third major task

would be the development of official recommendations to be presented to university leadership

with the authority to ratify and implement the recommended policy. The Task Force members

would further serve as the bereavement policy resource in their respective department.

Once the task force has successfully implemented policies and systems to assist bereaved

students on campus, the final major task will be obtaining the support of campus constituencies

before the task force disbands at semester’s end. The endorsement of the institution’s
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administration, faculty, staff, and students will help ensure the implementation of proposed

policies and strategies. Building campus-wide awareness of newly endorsed bereavement

policies can be accomplished through the use of the institution’s website, social media outlets,

print media (i.e., the institution’s catalog, brochures, and policy manuals),and presentations to

key individuals. These individuals include faculty, staff, and those who supervise or interact with

students in the course of their professional duties. Staff and department meetings offer a logical

setting for these presentations. Publicizing these policies along with clear statistical data will

also help raise awareness of the prevalence of grieving students on campus, thereby helping to

normalize the experience for those affected and to prepare fellow students to assist friends in

need.

While policies and procedures are imperative pieces of the puzzle, grieving students

present to individuals, not the institution. Because individuals come to the experience with

varying degrees of comfort related to confronting bereavement, the following information can

assist campus employees and students in understaning how best to communicate with students

during a time of acute grief. The thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that are inherent in the grief

process are among the most powerful in the human experience. Rack, Burleson, Bodie,

Holmstrom, and Servanty-Seib (2008) propose the idea that communication can affect the

experience of the griever by influencing emotional states and processing of events. In their

study, bereaved students indicated that the most helpful expressions of concern for their welfare

were provided when caring others offered presence and opportunities for the griever to express

their feelings. Additionally, they found that comforting messages that are highly person-centered

can explicitly recognize and legitimize the grief experience and may provide students with the
THE EFFECTS OF GRIEF 14
 

opportunity to gain greater understanding about the reasons for their emotional responses and

how they fit in the broader context of life.

In researching how young adults respond to grief management, Rack et al. (2008) found

that 80 percent of the young adults in their study reported that the messages they received about

their loss were not helpful. Only 20 percent felt that the grief responses communicated to them

were beneficial. Their research also indicted that demographic factors including the gender of

the grieving person, the extent to which the person feels social support is available to them, and

the circumstances of the loved one’s death had an impact on how the griever responded to grief

interventions from others. “Expressing concern for the welfare of the bereaved, offering

presence, and providing the opportunity for the bereaved to ventilate feelings were among the

strategies rated most helpful. Minimizing the bereaved’s feelings and giving unsolicited advice

were rated as least helpful” (Rack et al., 2008, p. 403). In light of this, the question remains as to

how caring members of the campus community can best support students through the grieving

process. Rack et al. (2008) report:

Highly person-centered comforting messages explicitly recognize and legitimize the

other’s feelings, help the other to articulate those feelings, elaborate reasons why those

feelings might be felt, and assist the other to see how those feelings fit in a broader

context (e.g., “I am so sorry. I can only guess how sad you must feel about his passing. I

know the two of you were very close. I really care about you and how you are doing, and

I’m available anytime you want to talk about things or just want company. Times like

this can be rough, and I’m here to listen.”). (p.404)

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Program and Policy Evaluation

Evaluation is an important element in the continual improvement of any program. For

that reason, it is recommended that an annual review be conducted to deteremine the

effectiveness of the bereavement policies and procedures, and to ascertain any need for

modification. This review will be accomplished by adding pertinent items to the annual

university assessment given campus-wide.

Upon the disbanding of the Task Force, the logical place for ongoing oversight of student

bereavement-associated interventions would be either the Dean of Students or the Student Life

and Development Division. Either of these offices would be well-positioned to oversee any

necessary changes.
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Discussion

Rational for Intervention

Clearly from a developmental standpoint, traditional-age college students face challenges

across a broad spectrum of developmental issues. As discussed earlier in this paper, Erik

Erikson suggest that within each life stage there exists developmental crises that must be

resolved such that the individual has the ability to integrate the learning experiences of one stage

in the resolution of future stages. For college students, developmental tasks include the

establishment of an autonomous identity, separate from their family of origin. That identity

includes career considerations that affect choice of major, minor, and extracurricular activities

that may position them for future employment. Further, for many students college represents

their first experience in living independently. Along with this independence comes a new set of

responsibility, including the necessity to secure housing, provide for the needs of day-to-day

living, manage finances, and navigate complicated social dynamics, all while meeting rigorous

academic pursuits.

Students who face the loss of a close family member or friend face additional challenges

that have the potential to significantly undermine their sense of stability, and ultimately to hinder

their academic progress. Research shows 23-30 percent of college students have lost a person

with whom they shared a significant relationship in any given year. Additionally, those students

typically experience a decline in academic success during the semester in which the loss occurs.

A decline in GPA has the potential to negatively impact the student’s ability to gain access into

desired academic programs. This results in consequences for both the bereaved students and the

college or university. Fortunately, colleges and universities are uniquely positioned to address

the academic needs of bereaved students and have the potential to positively impact their
THE EFFECTS OF GRIEF 17
 

experience with bereavement. Meeting the needs of bereaved student will require multifaceted

institutional approaches. Institutions of higher learning have the potential to design interventions

that uniquely address student bereavement needs based on the mission, vision, and goals of the

institution. For institutions of higher learning, both from a humanitarian and retention

perspective, the establishment of policies and programming that meets the needs of bereaved

students is an essential undertaking.

THE EFFECTS OF GRIEF 18
 

Author’s Note

In April 2003, my husband and I were having the time of our lives, traveling in

Prague. While there, he experienced discomfort walking on the uneven surface of the

cobblestones that lined the streets. When we returned to the States, he was seen by his physician

for an annual exam, at which time he reported his experience. Following an MRI, he was

diagnosed with a very rare bone cancer. During the next twelve months he underwent massive

surgery and extensive chemotherapy, and on the eve of Christmas Eve, he lost his battle with

cancer and passed gracefully from this life.

At the time of their father’s death, my oldest daughter was a sophomore in college, and

my younger daughter was making plans to attend college following her high school graduation.

Knowing that they were undergoing an important developmental transition and that their lives

would be forever changed, I sought resources to assist them in processing their grief.

Additionally, the medical staff at Gunderson Medical Center in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and at the

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, also researched sources of support for my daughters.

Much to our collective surprise, we were unable to secure written material, bereavement

programs, or support groups that were designed to meet the needs of traditional-age college

students.

Throughout my husband’s illness and after his death, I felt supported in my grief.

However, as a mother I was heartbroken to realize that my daughters were afforded no such

support and were left to deal with the emotional devastation of losing a beloved parent while

continuing to meet the academic and social demands of young adulthood. I made the decision to

return to school seeking my master’s degree in community counseling, with the goal of finding a
THE EFFECTS OF GRIEF 19
 

way to positively impact the situation. This paper represents my attempt to bring awareness of

bereavement and the college population. Within my Capstone, I offer a suggestion for the

development of a program to meet the needs of college students who, much like my daughters

did, face bereavement issues at a critical time in their personal development. My hope is that

educational professionals and other caring individuals take up the challenge to bring their

collective knowledge and humanity to the development of bereavement programs at institutions

of higher learning through the United States.

THE EFFECTS OF GRIEF 20
 

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