Bereaved Students

There were two groups within this study, one group was made up of bereaved students and the other non-bereaved students. All participants of the study completed 3 questionnaires and they were, the Brief COPE, the Perceived Social Support from Family and Friends scale, and the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire. In addition to these questionnaires, the students within the bereaved group completed questions that asked specific questions surrounding the nature of the death. One questionnaire given to the bereaved group of students was the Scale of Emotional Closeness which explored the student’s closeness to the individual he or she recently lost (Cousins et al., 2015).

The Two-Track Model of Bereavement is a model that states loss is conceptualized along two axes. Track I pertains to the biopsychosocial functioning in the event of a loss and Track II pertains to the bereaved’s continued emotional attachment and relationship to whoever is deceased. The effect of Track I is seen through the bereaved’s functioning, including their anxiety, their self-esteem and self-worth, and their depressive affect and cognitions. Noting the ability of one to invest in life tasks after experiencing a loss indicates how they are responding to the loss of the deceased. This Track is seen as an expression similar to one of trauma, or crisis. Track II holds that the bereaved has difficulty physically separating from the deceased. This can be seen in emotional, interpersonal, or cognitive ways. It is shown through imagery and memories that the bereaved experiences surrounding the deceased, whether positive or negative, as well as the emotional distance from them. These pictures in the bereaved’s head explain both the cognitive and emotional view of the person who has died (Rubin, 1999).

Grief is defined as a type of emotional or mental suffering from a loss, sorrow, or regret (Dictionary.com, LLC, 2010). Grief affects people of all ages, races, and sexes around the world. Approximately, 36% of the world’s population does or has suffered from grief and only a mere 10% of these people will seek out help (Theravive, 2009). Once a person is suffering from grief it is important to receive treatment. All too often, people ignore grief resulting in deep depression, substance abuse, and other disorders (Theravive, 2009). Grief counseling is very common and can be very helpful to a person in need of assistance. Grief counseling provides the support, understanding, and

A loss is something most people find difficult to deal with. A term commonly used to refer to loss is been bereavement, which is the position of having lately departed with someone important in one’s life through death. It is normal in the human world to experience such a loss and people ought to know how to manage such experiences when they do happen. Bereavement is never easy; it is a period that individuals experience too much suffering that leaves them feeling vulnerable. Some people are also at risk of developing physical health and mental problems. It can take months or

Each year thousands of teenagers experience the death of someone they love. When a parent, sibling, friend, or relative dies, teens feel the overwhelming loss of someone who helped shape their -fragile self-identities. Caring adults, whether parents, teachers, counselors or friends, can help teens during this time. If adults are open, honest and loving, experiencing the loss of someone loved can be a chance for young people to learn about both the joy and pain that comes from caring deeply for others. There are many common reactions to trauma, grief, and bereavement among teens. First of all, shock and denial. Feeling numb, stunned and dazed are healthy and normal reactions. Often, it is difficult to “take in” information. The grieved may

The process model of coping with bereavement identified two types of stressors related to bereavement: “loss-oriented stressors and restoration-oriented stressors. Loss-oriented stressors are essentially those that relate directly to the death and the feelings associated with it. These types of stressors include ruminating on the emotions associated with the deceased, concentrating on how life had been prior to the loss, and focusing on the actual circumstances surrounding the death. Restoration-oriented

The Cokesbury United Methodist Church grief support group follows a thirteen-week curriculum from GriefShare, however, new members can join in at any time as each week has a “self-contained” lesson. The topic for the week I attendee focused on the “why” of losing a loved one. Through following this curriculum, the group seeks to equip members with “essentials to recover from the hurt of grief and loss.” (GriefShare, n.d.) The group focuses on helping members rebuild their lives after they experience tremendous loss and grief through facing the challenge together. (GriefShare, n.d.)

The need for this study find the best practices in which will assist the complicated grief interventions that fail to reduce stress for future clients. In past studies, uncomplicated grief was being broadly defined as a bereavement response with acute distress in the first 6 to 12 months which was not social, physical, occupational functioning. Today, the individuals who are experiencing uncomplicated grief are seeking services to receive effective interventions. The knowledge of this topic will be used for adults experiencing uncomplicated grief seeking recommendations for future interventions conducted in this study (MacKinnon, et al., 2016).

Death and dying is a natural and unavoidable process that all living creatures will experience at some point in life, whether it is one’s own person death or the death of a close friend or family member. Along with the experience of death comes the process of grieving which is the dealing and coping with the loss of the loved one. Any living thing can grieve and relate to a loss, even children (Shortle, Young, & Williams, 1993). “Childhood grief and mourning of family and friends may have immediate and long-lasting consequences including depression, anxiety, social withdrawal, behavioral disturbances, and school underachievement” (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2006, p. 61). American children today grow up in cultures that attempt to avoid grief and

Grief is the act following the loss of a loved one. While grief and bereavement are normal occurrences, the grief process is a social construct of how someone should behave. The acceptable ways that people grieve change because of this construct. For a time it was not acceptable to grieve; today, however, it is seen as a necessary way to move on from death (Scheid, 2011).The grief process has been described as a multistage event, with each stage lasting for a suggested amount of time to be considered “normal” and reach resolution. The beginning stage of grief is the immediate shock, disbelief, and denial lasting from hours to weeks (Wambach, 1985). The middle stage is the acute mourning phase that can include somatic and emotional turmoil. This stage includes acknowledging the event and processing it on various levels, both mentally and physically. The final stage is a period of

This intervention looks at clients in acute grief who appear to be “stuck” in their mourning. This intervention would be appropriate for parents who have lost a child. Acute grief is normal grief behaviors and symptoms that occur after a loss. After about six months acute grief transitions into integrated grief, the healing begins and one finds him or herself settling back into life (Zisook, S. and Shear, K. 2009). The intervention designed for mourners whom are not permitting themselves to be healthy until they decide it is acceptable. When a mourner is stuck, Rando states, “it can be useful to identify their resistance and explore its functioning” (Neimeyer, 2012, p. 149).

While the bereavement process may be a universal chapter of life, the experience itself is conclusively subjective. Specifically for younger individuals, bereavement is a very complex encounter because developmental factors must be considered. The loss of an individual in a child’s life is heavily influenced by the time in which it occurs because coping mechanisms may or may not be developed. For example, if a child does not understand the context of death, they most likely will not have adequate coping skills to process this life-changing experience. Children and adolescents who are facing bereavement may face developmental relapse as well as changes in social, behavioral,

Johnson conducted a qualitative study, which explored the lived human experiences pertaining to teens coping with grief. As mentioned by Johnson little empirical evidence currently exists which exemplifies an exploratory approach. Dissimilar from quantitative a qualitative research highlights and strengthens an individual’s inherent narrative and voice. The teen’s narratives provided a framework in order to discover meaning and understanding, rather than to verify truth or prediction. Consequently, the study highlights teen’s unique conceptualizations pertaining to grief.

The loss of a loved one is a very crucial time where an individual can experience depression, somatic symptoms, grief, and sadness. What will be discussed throughout this paper is what the bereavement role is and its duration, as well as the definition of disenfranchised grief and who experiences this type of grief. I will also touch upon the four tasks of mourning and how each bereaved individual must accomplish all four tasks before mourning can be finalized. Lastly, with each of these topics, nursing implications will be outlined on how to care for bereaved individuals and their families.

Worden, J. (2009). Grief Counseling and Grief Therapy A Handbook for the Mental Health Practitioner. 4th ed. New York: