Andrea C. Walker

Prevalence and severity of college student bereavement examined in a randomly selected sample.

The authors used stratified random sampling to assess the prevalence and severity of bereavement in college undergraduates, providing an advance over findings that emerge from convenience sampling methods or from anecdotal observations. Prior research using convenience sampling indicated that 22% to 30% of college students are within 12 months of having experienced the death of a family member or friend. Using an ethnically diverse sample from a private, Midwestern university, 118 randomly selected students answered demographic and life experience questions and indicated whether a family member or friend had died within the last 24 months. Those who reported experiencing such a loss also completed the PG-13, a questionnaire used to assess prolonged grief disorder. Results indicated that 30% of the sample was within 12 months of experiencing a loss and 39% was within 24 months of experiencing a loss. Two of the students bereaved at 12 months (1.7% of the sample) were classified as having prolonged grief disorder. A limiting factor in this study is the homogeneity of the sample in terms of geographic location and religious preference. The authors concluded that a significant portion of college students are bereaved at any given time, confirmed previous estimates of the prevalence rate, and noted university assistance may be needed to prevent academic decline.

College student bereavement experience in a Christian university.

As part of the National College Grief Study, college student bereavement experience was examined specifically in a Christian university climate. Sex, year in school, and closeness to the deceased were measured in terms of academic and mental health outcomes and resources utilized. Females reported more mental health problems when close to the deceased, and seniors were less likely than first year students to utilize personal support resources of family and religion. During close losses, students experienced more mental health problems and negative social outcomes, but they did not access more resources. Recommendations for university personnel and suggestions for further research are given.

GRIEVING IN THE MUSCOGEE CREEK TRIBE

A qualitative, collective case study explores grieving in the Muscogee Creek tribe. Data from interviews with 27 participants, all adult members of the tribe, reveal tendencies in patterns of grieving. Commonalities include (a) individual strength and certainty of recovery; (b) focus on giving to others in the family and coping as a family unit; and (c) support mainly received from family. Cultural factors of belief in natures balance, family, community, and Indian medicine influence the meaning Creeks associate with death, which, in turn, contributes to grieving patterns.

Bereavement rituals in the Muscogee Creek tribe.

A qualitative, collective case study explores bereavement rituals in the Muscogee Creek tribe. Data from interviews with 27 participants, all adult members of the tribe, revealed consensus on participation in certain bereavement rituals. Common rituals included (a) conducting a wake service the night before burial; (b) never leaving the body alone before burial; (c) enclosing personal items and food in the casket; (d) digging graves by hand; (e) each individual throwing a handful of dirt into the grave before covering, called giving a “farewell handshake”; (f) covering the grave completely by hand; (g) building a house over the grave; (h) waiting 4 days before burial; (i) using medicine/purification; and (j) adhering to socialized mourning period. Cultural values of family, community, religion, importance of the number 4, Indian medicine, and the meaning of death contributed to the development of these rituals.

College and the grieving student: A mixed-methods analysis

ABSTRACT The current mixed-methods study examines how college students negotiate the grief process with the competing demands of college. Data were collected from 950 students at a regional comprehensive university and a research intensive institution. Quantitative findings revealed closeness to the deceased as a key positive predictor of mental health and academic difficulties and positive associations between changes in peer relationships and mental health difficulties. Qualitative findings showed that closeness to the deceased was associated with a greater sense of purpose in the college experience and findings suggested that institutions and their faculty encourage and exhibit more sensitivity about grief issues.

Discrepancies between Student and Institutional Religious Worldviews.

Abstract Students whose religious/spiritual views are incongruent with the theological mission advanced by a university face numerous challenges. A sample of 977 undergraduate students at an evangelical institution was categorized as congruent or incongruent with the theological mission. Both groups were compared to 120 students enrolled at an institution with an explicitly inclusive mission statement. Religious pressure differed among the groups. Incongruent students were also less certain about the truth of religious teachings and slightly more open to valuing other religions than their congruent counterparts. Religious university students reported higher levels of meaning than inclusive students. Implications for both religious and secular universities are provided.

Scholarship of Suicide

John R. Jordan practices clinical psychology in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. For over 10 years he has been the catalyst in the popular ‘‘Research That Matters’’ presentations at annual conferences of the Association for Death Education and Counseling. With Bob Baugher he is coauthor of After Suicide Loss: Coping with Your Grief (available at b_kbaugher@yahoo.com). He wrote ‘‘After Suicide: Clinical Work with Survivors,’’ published in Australian Journal of Grief and Bereavement, 2009, 12, 4–9. John L. McIntosh is Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Professor of Psychology at Indiana University South Bend and PastPresident of the American Association of Suicidology. Along with John F. Santos, Richard W. Hubbard, and James C. Overholser, McIntosh coauthored Elder Suicide: Research, Theory, and Treatment, published by the American Psychological Association in 1994. He is the author of U.S.A. Suicide 2006: Official Final Data published in 2009 by the American Association of Suicidology. Andrea C. Walker is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Oral Roberts University. Her areas of research include family studies and grief= bereavement issues regarding American Indian populations and college students. She is a licensed addictions counselor in the state of Oklahoma. She is the author of ‘‘Building Bridges in American Indian Bereavement Research,’’ published by Omega, 2009, 59, 351–367.