Bereavement Support for Students

Being a student can be an exciting time that brings new opportunities, experiences, and connections along the way. Equally, it can be a precarious time with added pressures, foreign environments, and overwhelming situations. It can be especially difficult to navigate if a student is dealing with bereavement and grief.

Losing a loved one is one of the hardest things we will face in life. It can interfere with daily life, cause physical pain, and increase mental wellbeing concerns, including heightened risk of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and stress.

According to the UK Commission on Bereavement, 23% of students did not feel supported at all by their education setting and only 26% felt well-supported. We can see there is an increasing demand and need for grief and bereavement support in the education sector.

What is bereavement and grief?

Bereavement is the loss of someone or something that is important to us, usually meaning the death of a loved one, but not always. Grief is the range of emotions and reactions that a person goes through whilst coping with bereavement.

Grief is a personal journey that can feel tumultuous and draining for our mental health, but it is a natural response to loss and the process of coming to terms with bereavement. We may also experience grief over pets, jobs, friends, or even a divorce.

What does grief look like?

Experiencing a bereavement will look and feel differently for everyone. There are many ways someone might grieve during a bereavement, but it’s important to note that people experience grief in different ways and there is no right or wrong way to process a bereavement.

Shock

It’s normal to feel shocked when experiencing a bereavement, especially if the loss was a close connection and unexpected. The loss could have been sudden, impacting the ability to spend time with the loved one or say goodbye. Shock is usually the first reaction and the NHS reports people often talking about “being in a daze” during this stage of grief.

Denial

Denial and disbelief are common during periods of grief. Bereavement can feel extremely overwhelming, and we may deny that the person has gone. This can manifest in not leaving places, thinking the person will come back, searching for the person, or holding out hope that they will come back.

Anger

College and university staff may notice a student dealing with grief may become angry, frustrated, and aggressive. This is a natural response to loss. Loss can sometimes feel unfair, unnecessary, and may harbour feelings of anger and distain as a reaction.

Sadness, low mood, and depression

Losing a loved one is extremely distressing and can affect us deeply and in so many ways. Grief, sadness, and depression are all closely related, causing prolonged stress, isolation, loneliness, loss of interests and purpose, and hopelessness.

Anxiety

Experiencing loss and grief can create feelings of extreme stress, worry, restlessness, and anxiety. We may also feel a lack of control or safety, increasing the likelihood of anxiety.

Other common symptoms of grief:

• Guilt

• Numbness

• Confusion

• Panic

• Feeling overwhelmed

• Relief

• Bitterness

• Self-blame

How can colleges and universities help?

Cruse Bereavement Support reported that over 28 million UK adults (54%) have experienced the loss of a loved one in the last five years. With over half of UK adults dealing with grief, colleges and universities must take the lead in offering comprehensive mental health support.

During a period of grief, students need a good balance of time, patience, and compassion from their college or university. Colleges and universities can play a fundamental role in helping students who are experiencing grief. Most higher education institutions understand this and will implement adjustments or provide support to help their students complete their course during difficult personal periods, like a bereavement.

With patience, compassion, and understanding, teachers, lecturers, and staff alike can be an essential line of defence, offering normality through routine, mental health support, and combatting loneliness.

Support available for students:

Counselling services

Many universities provide counselling services tailored to help students who are dealing with bereavement and grief. This might include one-to-one sessions, group therapy, or support.

groups where students can connect with people going through similar situations and experiences.

Health Assured is proud to support students through our comprehensive Student Assistance Programme (SAP). With our SAP, we offer specialised in-person, telephone, and online bereavement counselling to help students navigate the complexities of grief.

Use Resources

Take advantage of mental health resources that are available at your university or college. They may offer good connections to support groups, such as peer-led programs, and useful information to alleviate symptoms. This will help build mental health resilience, gather vital information about the process of bereavement, and provide strong connections with people going through a similar experience.

Mental Health Education

Workshops and webinars about grief and bereavement are great ways to increase understanding of mental health, grief, and loss. Mental health education supports students in comprehending bereavement, how to manage the natural feelings of grief, what to emotionally expect, and how to increase mental resilience during a challenging time.

Academic adjustments and flexibility

Students who are dealing with bereavement must have the time and space to grieve. Often, colleges and universities will offer adjustments and flexibility, such as extra time for exams or longer deadlines, allowing more time and space for the student to complete their studies while giving them the opportunity to grieve.

Support tips for students dealing with grief:

Use mental health support

Grief is profoundly challenging to mental wellbeing. So, prioritising mental health is one of the most effective ways we can protect ourselves in emotionally sensitive periods. Mental health support, such as counselling, supports processing complex and confusing emotions during bereavement and reduces the risk of worsening mental health concerns.

Maintaining routines

Attending lectures and doing normal day-to-day activities may not be at the top of your priority list if you are experiencing grief. However, maintaining a routine is known to be extremely important and provides a sense of organisation, control, familiarity, and stability during an intense emotional period. It also promotes self-care and decreases loneliness, allowing more time for connection with others.

Lean on trusted friends and family

Having friends and family that you can trust and lean on is crucial whilst going through a difficult time, like bereavement. Trusted friends and family offer a safe space to talk through their grief and pain, helping navigate complex feelings and emotions around loss.

How can we help?

At Health Assured, we offer a specialised bereavement counselling service to support you through the hardest times in your life, helping you get back to normality after grief.

We also offer bereavement workshops that support people in understanding how to cope with grief and the best ways to protect mental health through emotionally challenging periods. Our expert counsellors are on-hand to guide you through any bereavement challenges you are facing 24/7, 365 days a year.