“I’m really sorry you joined us, but welcome to the club” : the impact of parental death on college students
- UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Scott William Wojciechowski (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
- Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
- Advisor
- Bradley Johnson
Abstract: Few thanatological studies focus on the impact of the death of a parent on college students between the ages of 17 and 23; a knowledge limitation that may be doing more harm than good through ignorance, avoidance, and inflexible policies. This phenomenological study used narrative inquiry to explore how students from a variety of backgrounds process parental death and how institutions of higher education can best support them. The primary research question of this qualitative study was “What are the stories of students who experience the death of a parent while they are enrolled in college?” Sub-questions were “What resources do these parentally bereaved college students use to navigate their college experience after the loss?” and “How do colleges and universities respond to the needs of parentally bereaved college students?” The Dual Process Model (Stroebe & Schut, 1999) was the framework that guided the study. Using purposive sampling, participants were recruited by referral from student affairs professionals and an online grief support community. In order to qualify for the study, the participants needed to be current students or recent graduates who experienced the death of a parent in the last three years (since January 2020) while they were enrolled as undergraduates at a four-year institution. Completion of a degree program was not a prerequisite, as some individuals may have postponed or ended their enrollment as a result of their parent’s death. Ten participants completed two interviews (that averaged over an hour) via Zoom to discuss the nature of their parent’s death, share demographic information, and address topics related to the research questions. The findings were organized into themes: (a) the immediate impact of the death of their parent; (b) resources and support students found helpful; and (c) what resources students wished they had access to. Findings aligned with the Dual Process Model (Stroebe & Schut, 1999) and other death research on the general college student population (Balk et al., 2010; Cupit et al. 2016; Taub & Servaty-Seib, 2008). The study took the interplay of participants’ self-described salient identities into account and was also contextualized within the global Covid-19 pandemic which caused compounding crises for the participants. This study advocates for expanded institutional services to support parentally bereaved students. The implications for higher education practitioners include campus-wide trainings on grief and appropriate resource referrals; a highly visible website with policies, procedures, and resources; and opportunities for students to connect with other bereaved peers through group therapy or a recognized student organization. Implementation of these improvements can help campus communities better understand and support their students as they navigate one of the toughest experiences they will encounter. Keywords: college students, parental bereavement, parent, death, grief, bereavement, student affairs, parents
“I’m really sorry you joined us, but welcome to the club” : the impact of parental death on college students
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Created on 12/1/2023
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Dissertation
- Language: English
- Date: 2023
- Keywords
- College students, Parental bereavement, Parent, Death, Grief, Bereavement, Student affairs, Parents
- Subjects
- College students
- Parents $x Death
- Bereavement