The experience of grief amongst university students following the loss of a parent

Abstract

The experience of grief and loss has increasingly become a topic of concern within social science literature. Emerging from this literature are theoretical frameworks and a knowledge base used to guide clinical practice, educational programmes, public understanding, and policymaking. In recent years, research indicates that many students experienced the death of a significant person during their academic journey and had to navigate the grieving process in a demanding university environment. However, despite growing interest in grief experiences and their effects, literature on such topics within Africa and South Africa remains limited. This has resulted in a lack of extensive research within socially and culturally diverse countries that could inform mental health initiatives, particularly in under-researched yet significantly affected populations such as university students. Consequently, parental loss often remains unacknowledged, rendering university a non-accommodative setting. This study explored students’ grief experiences following the loss of a parent, with particular focus on the ongoing experiences of grief, challenges faced, coping strategies, and support-seeking within a South African university setting. Employing a phenomenological research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight participants recruited through a research poster advertised on ClickUp across various departmental modules within the Faculty of Humanities. The transcripts were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis, from which three group experiential themes and 11 subthemes were generated. The findings provide key insights into the persistent and evolving nature of grief as experienced by students while studying, and into their resilient navigation of challenges associated with coping with parental loss within both academic and social life. It is recommended that the university setting become more compassionate and accommodative through the inclusion of grief support, grief literacy, and departmental policies for academic support to better meet the needs of bereaved students.