Abstract:In this review article, the authors integrate the theoretical, empirical, and clinical literature relevant to the phenomenon of college student bereavement. They synthesize information on two theories of mourning that appear to fit well with the experience of bereaved college students with information about the developmental, cohort, and contextual situation of college students. They end the article with an integrated illustration and practical recommendations for counseling psychologists who work with bereaved college students in various capacities within higher education (e.g., administrators, clinicians, educators, and researchers). academia | college students | counseling centers | well-being | bereavement | college Keywords: student bereavement | counseling psychologists | counseling psychology | higher education counselors
Article:Research suggests that approximately 25% to 30% of college students are in the 1st year of bereavement and that between 40% and 50% are within the first 2 years of experiencing the death of a family member or friend (Balk & Walker, 2008;Hardison, Neimeyer, & Lichstein, 2005;Noppe, Linzmeier, Martin, Wisneski, & Servaty-Seib, 2008). The purpose of the present article is to provide counseling psychologists with information that will assist them in addressing the specific developmental needs of bereaved college students. We begin with a brief argument for why we believe counseling psychologists are uniquely positioned to positively affect the grief experiences of this population. Next, the core of the article is a conceptual synthesis of two current mourning theories with the distinct developmental, cohort, and contextual issues faced by college students. Finally, the article ends with an integrated illustration and practical recommendations for best practices. We believe that learning more about the theoretical, empirical, and clinical literature relevant to the experience of bereavement for college students