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The association between continuing bonds and indicators of mental health and coping in bereaved university students
Birgit De Boeck1, Laurence Claes1,2, Karl Andriessen1,3
1Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Abstract:
Many students can be bereaved by the death of a loved one. This study aimed to examine how bereaved students experienced the continuing bond to the deceased (i.e., burdensome, neutral, or supportive) and its association to grief, psychological well-being, social support, coping and stigma. A total of 325 participants filed out a series of standardized instruments (AGI, DASS-21, MSPSS, Brief-COPE, GEQ) and questions designed for the study. Findings from MANCOVA analysis revealed important group differences. Those experiencing a burdensome continuing bond scored higher on grief, maladaptive coping, and stigma compared to those reporting a neutral or supportive continuing bond. There were no group differences regarding psychological well-being and social support. This study contributes to the limited research about the different experiences of continuing bonds and may inform support offered to bereaved students.
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