College and the grieving student: A mixed-methods analysis.

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.

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.

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.

Building bridges in American Indian bereavement research.

Due to the severity of the risks involved in violation of ethical principles with research of American Indian populations, more attention in literature is needed on the topic. This article reviews discussions of ethical and methodological issues, uses Muscogee Creeks' responses from the author's prior study (Walker, 2008; Walker & Balk, 2007) as an example and application, and specifically focuses on the research of death and bereavement. The article provides ethical reflection and recommendations for designing death and bereavement research as an outsider to the culture, as well as for building trust with participants in American Indian populations.

Muscogee Creek spirituality and meaning of death.

This qualitative, collective case study involves interviews with 27 members of the Muscogee Creek Tribe to explore spirituality as related to death and bereavement. Results yielded that Creeks are generally open to the existence of inexplicable supernatural events. Creek spirituality encompasses awareness of spiritual beings, both good and bad.

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.

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.