Psychological development during four years of bereavement: a longitudinal case study

Bereavement in the lives of college students is more prevalent than many persons realize. A survey replicated 4 times on the Kansas State University campus demonstrated that, at any point in time, over 25% of the students were in the 1st year of grief following the death of a family member and nearly 30% in the 1st year of grief following the death of a friend. Grief work can hinder traditional-age college students from resolving normal developmental tasks, such as forming autonomous lives, developing a clear sense of direction, and entering into lasting, intimate relationships. This article provides longitudinal case study information about a traditional-age college student following the death of her father. The data come from multiple sources. Data from the Impact of Events Scale document changes in intrusive and avoidant thoughts and images; journal entries show changes in the student's ongoing relationship with her father, coping with his death and subsequent events colored by her bereavement, and life lessons; data from the Grant Foundation Bereavement Inventory show changes in the student's attachment, reunion fantasies, disbelief about her father's death, identification with her father, and feelings of disloyalty as time passed. Comparisons are made to responses of 80 bereaved students who participated in a separate longitudinal study.