What is it about?
This article discusses the implications of this neglect for both the students and the universities via (1) international literature on bereavement in young people; (2) international literature on bereavement in higher education students; (3) UK and US literature on workplace bereavement and its implications for universities in preparing the future workforce; and (4) findings from a scoping study of 90 UK universities’ bereavement support, which identified no shared comprehensive strategy for student bereavement. Our findings show an urgent need for UK universities to address this neglect.
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Why is it important?
Bereavement in UK university students is a neglected area of research. Yet the impact of bereavement on these students can be particularly debilitating in an environment that tends to be very 'full on'. In addition to the impact on students' physical, mental and emotional well-being, bereavement can severely disrupt their studies and future prospects.
Perspectives
I enjoyed writing this article as it addresses an important gap in understanding. Though there has been some recent focus on mental health in students, little is known about the impact of bereavement on this group. Yet the incident of bereavement in students is far from uncommon, though they are a hidden group. Further, bereavement can seriously impact their studies, while it is also documented that, with appropriate support bereavement can lead to personal growth. Therefore it makes sense for UK universities to pay attention to student bereavement.
Christine Valentine
University of Bath
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Supporting bereaved students at university: Balancing institutional standards and reputation alongside individual compassion and care, Death Studies, October 2018, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2018.1516702.
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