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Loss is when we experience deprivation of something or someone. These can be things such as a job, a home, an identity, a loved one, and more. Grief is the emotional, physical and behavioral response we have to a loss.

Loss refers to the experience of being deprived of someone or something of value. This can be tangible (e.g., a loved one, home, job) or intangible (e.g., sense of purpose, safety, identity).

Grief is the emotional, cognitive, physical, and behavioral response to that loss. It is a deeply personal process that varies widely across individuals, cultures, and circumstances. Grief can trigger a wide range of emotions. It is a natural human reaction, but can be extremely overwhelming.

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Grief is an emotional and physical body response. Grief can become a barrier for students as it can interfere with attention, ability to concentrate, and to do tasks. Grief can cause a student to feel sadness, anger, guilt, turmoil, and more. These emotions and be intense and can lead to affects on a students academic life and their social life. Grief can also cause physical disturbances, such as poor sleeping habits, changes in appetite, and a disrupted daily routine. These facts directly impact their academic performance in college. It can lead to withdrawal from involvement in classes, clubs, and friendships. With academic pressure it is difficult to cope with grief.

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This article provided insight on what you can do as student who is experiencing grief in college. It list several tips such as

1. share your feelings with friends or trusted individuals

2. listen openly to those who are experiencing grief

3. honor you deceased loved on

4. connect with family if you can

5. and make sure you let your professors know and get connected with support on campus

6. create a routine

7. seek support

8. take care of physical health

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How To Support Someone Through Grief - Crisis & Trauma Resource Institute

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As humans, our response to loss and the type of support we need fluctuates and varies. Here are seven tips to help you support someone through grief.

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Working with Grief as a Student Affairs Professional 

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Working with Grief as a Student Affairs Professional 

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As student affairs professionals, we may experience grief and work with students who are grieving. Tools to work with students who are struggling with grief include having compassion for others. Attached is an article I found informative in being a Student Affairs Professional and working with students with grief and loss

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Carrying More Than Textbooks: Navigating Grief and Growth in College

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Students who have experienced the death of a loved one are at risk for increased grief and mental problems

Students who are experiencing loss are vulnerable for developing mental health problem, mood disorders, substance abuse disorders, and social problems.

In this study - study participants who received little to no support after the death of their sibling had more reports of experiencing anxiety

Reaching out to peers who had similar experiences or support group that provided emotional support, decreased feelings or loneliness in students.

it was reported only a few students had found their way to receive formal help on their own after experiencing a death

Most student participants indicated that they had received support from their campus

about 200 participants out of the over 600 participants stated they wanted more support after the death of a loved one

More than half of the participants indicated they had experienced challenges and barriers that prevented them from seeking support from friends or family

The study found students who received support after the death of a loved on reported more grief and more personal growth, but there was no significance in mental health distress compared to those who received no support

The study stated when students were receiving support, students indicated a need for having their feelings acknowledged as well as expressed needing to feel safe when they were seeking support

Finding included that students who need support should be offered shortly after a death of a loved one, with that support being accessible continually so it is accessible when the student feels ready to accept help

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Help-seeking behavior in bereaved university and college students: Associations with grief, mental health distress, and personal growth

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Many students have experienced the death of a loved one, which increases their risk of grief and mental health problems. Formal and social support can contribute to better coping skills and personal growth in bereaved students. The purpose of this…

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There are many different things one can grieve for, I listed some examples

1. Death related losses

2. End of Relationships

3. Identity such as loss of self

4. Life Transitions

5. Loss of home

6. Loss of Health

7. Loss of stability

8. Loss of Trust

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Grief - Coping with Grief in College, a College Students Guide to Grief

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Advice about some things that may help as you or someone you know who is coping with grief in college. No college student should need to grieve alone!

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Grief Resources & Support for Families | Good Grief

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At Good Grief, we focus on providing families, professionals, and communities with a multitude of grief resources, including educational videos, quick tips, and more. Click to view our resources.

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Campus Initiative for College and Universities

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Campus Initiative for College and Universities

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Many colleges and universities have protocols and policies in place to assist students who are facing loss and grief. Many college use the following as best practices

1. Bereavement Leave Policy for Students

2. Notification Protocol

3. Grief Awareness Day

There are also many support offices on college campuses that students can utilize

1. Student Support

2. Counseling Services

3. Grief task force

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“Carrying More than Textbooks: Navigating Grief and Growth in College.” Naspa.org, 2025, www.naspa.org/blog/carrying-more-than-textbooks-navigating-grief-and-growth-in-college. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

Chatterton, Galya. “How to Support Someone through Grief - Crisis & Trauma Resource Institute.” Ctrinstitute.com, 4 Oct. 2021, ctrinstitute.com/blog/supporting-someone-through-grief/.

“Grief - Coping with Grief in College, a College Students Guide to Grief.” HealGrief, 9 Dec. 2017, healgrief.org/actively-moving-forward/coping-grief-college/.

“Resources.” Good Grief, good-grief.org/resources/.

Tureluren, Emilie, et al. “Help-Seeking Behavior in Bereaved University and College Students: Associations with Grief, Mental Health Distress, and Personal Growth.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 13, 3 Aug. 2022, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.963839.

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Freud provided a theory of mourning and melancholia. This distinguished between normal and pathological mourning. He suggested that relinquishing emotional ties with the object of attachment had involved obsessive remembering that was then followed by severance of emotion to the loved one that reattached emotion to another person. Freud also distinguished heavily mourning from pathological mourning and also differentiated mourning and melancholia. Both cases are emotional experiences

Eric Lindemann's Research revolved around the Cocoanut Grove Night Club disaster where more than 500 people were killed and expanded views on grief. He suggested that resolution of grief required the completion of three specific tasks

1. the mourner must relinquish the attachment to the loved one

2. he or she must establish new relationships with others

3. the person must readapt to life without the presence of the loved one

John Bowlby's theory of attachment developed from the research of infants separated from their mothers and how it affected the emotional, cognitive, developmental and biological consequences of attachment vs separation. Bowlby hypothesis was that grief reactions are a reflection of the basic attachment dynamic and theory. He concluded that 4 phases must take place following a loss.

Phase 1 entails a period where the mourner experiences numbness and denial that serves to deflect the loss

Phase 2 is yearning and searching as the mourner begins to now confront the loss

Phase 3 is dominated by feelings of disorganization and the realization that the attachment bond has been severed

Phase 4 involved gradual movement to reorganization and acceptance