71 70 Chapter Five: Supporting Students with Mental Health Difficulties Chapter Five: Supporting Students with Mental Health Difficulties References Balk, D. E. (2008). Grieving: 22 to 30 percent of all college students. New Directions for Student Services, 2008(121), 5-14. Servaty-Seib, H. L., & Hamilton, L. A. (2006). Educational performance and persistence of bereaved college students. Journal of College Student Development, 47(2), 225-234. Grief and Bereavement Grief is a typical and normal reaction when we lose something, ranging from losing an important and memorable item, ending a once close and intimate relationship, loss of good health due to illness or accidents, to bidding farewell to someone who passed away. It is an inevitable part of life, which is difficult and challenging at any time in one’s life. Grieving during university can be even more devastating as students need to handle the academic demand while simultaneously dealing with their emotional, physical and intellectual strain caused by losing someone or something important to them. Some research studies estimated that 22% to 30% of undergraduates were in the first year of bereavement at any given time (Balk, 2008). The death of a family member or close friend within the last year was found to adversely affect a student’s academic performance (Servaty-Seib & Hamilton, 2006). “ My tumultuous childhood, marked by constant mobility, made me proficient in letting go of my past. I was able to dissect my past from my present with surgical precision. Grandaunt, however, has become such an integral part of my existence that even the most careful incisions would take a part of me with it. Shortly after learning about grandaunt’s death, my days become punctuated with multiple cigarette breaks and my nights with beers. It wasn’t sustainable, but I knew no other way. This grief was like nothing I’d known before. It comes unannounced and left abruptly. Once, I caught myself choking up in the middle of my finance lecture. No warnings were given. ” ~ Anonymous Student ~
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