Death and Non-Death Grief Experiences of Filipino College Students

Myla Pilar  Pamplona,

Death and Non-Death Grief Experiences of Filipino College Students

Abstract:

The experience of grief because of the loss of loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic and the loss of control resulting from uncertainties and broken relationships were among the concerns experienced by college students in the past two years. The study aims to understand the grief experiences of Filipino young adults and how they can be utilized to help others. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was utilized to understand the death and non-death experiences of three Filipino college students experiencing grief. An in-depth interview was conducted, and the steps using the IPA framework were carefully followed, which included reading and rereading, initial noting, developing emergent themes, searching for connections across emergent themes, moving to the following cases, and looking for patterns across issues. A conceptual framework based on the students' experiences was developed, and recommendations were crafted. Themes include roller-coaster emotions and coping, connecting symbols to death, finding meaning to experience, remembering loved ones’ wishes, loneliness, and emptiness of missed presence. The recommendation includes creating a Grief Program for Students aligned to their perceived needs.

References:

Alase, A. (2017). The interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA): A guide to a good qualitative research approach. International Journal of Education and Literacy Studies, 5(2), 9-19.
Angara, S. (2023). Addressing the ‘silent’ pandemic. Manila Bulletin. https://bit.ly/44WSQko
Aren, M., & Sambasivan, V. (2021). Exploration of coping strategies among bereaved young adults using six-part story method (6PSM).
Billote, W. J. S., Escoto, M. F., Ponce, R., Ponce, T. E., Pama, E., Montoya, R. M., ... & Adam, M. J. (2021). A Document Analysis on the Efficacy and Ethical Considerations of Online Counseling. JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research, 43(1), 21-35.
Chi, C. (2023). Lack of guidance counselors hampers prevention of student suicides. Philstar.com. https://bit.ly/44VHflK
Conrad, P. (1990). Qualitative research on chronic illness: a commentary on method and conceptual development. Social science & medicine, 30(11), 1257-1263.
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative Inquiry and research design choosing among five approaches (3rd Ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications
De Diego-Cordero, R., Ávila-Mantilla, A., Vega-Escaño, J., Lucchetti, G., & Badanta, B. (2022). The role of spirituality and religiosity in healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic: An integrative review of the scientific literature. Journal of religion and health, 61(3), 2168-2197.
Eatough, V., & Smith, J. A. (2017). Interpretative phenomenological analysis. The Sage handbook of qualitative research in psychology, 193-209.
Erikson, E. H. (1993). Childhood and society. WW Norton & Company.
Ignacio, A. E. (2021). Online classes and learning in the Philippines during the Covid-19 Pandemic. International Journal on Integrated Education, 4(3), 1-6.
Imran, N., Zeshan, M., & Pervaiz, Z. (2020). Mental health considerations for children & adolescents in COVID-19 Pandemic. Pakistan journal of medical sciences, 36(COVID19-S4), S67.
Joaquim, R. M., Pinto, A. L., Guatimosim, R. F., de Paula, J. J., Costa, D. S., Diaz, A. P., ... & Malloy-Diniz, L. F. (2021). Bereavement and psychological distress during COVID-19 pandemics: The impact of death experience on mental health. Current Research in Behavioral Sciences, 2, 100019.
Kessler, D. (2019). Finding meaning: The sixth stage of grief. Simon and Schuster.
Kondo-Arita, M., & Becker, C. B. (2023). Changing Funerals and Their Effects on Bereavement Grief in Japan. OMEGA-Journal of Death and Dying, 00302228231158914.
Konstantopoulou, G., & Raikou, N. (2020). Clinical evaluation of depression in university students during quarantine due to covid-19 pandemic. European Journal of Public Health Studies, 3(1).
Larkin, M., Flowers, P., & Smith, J. A. (2021). Interpretative phenomenological analysis: Theory, method and research. Interpretative phenomenological analysis, 1-100.
Mabunda, N. B. (2022). University of KwaZulu-Natal students’ experiences of loss, grief and bereavement during Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic (Doctoral dissertation).
Moorhead, J. (2021). Finding meaning in the life of a loved one who dies is part of grief. The Guardian. https://bit.ly/3rgM3V0
Nabulsi, E. H. (2022). 2 Years On: Loss and Grief Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Nordal, K. C. (2020). Grief: Coping with the loss of your loved one. American Psychological Association.
Painter, S. (2020). Significance of Butterflies in Association with Death. Lovetoknow. https://bit.ly/3Zn9oRF
Pietkiewicz, I., & Smith, J.A. (2013). A practical guide to using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis in qualitative research psychology. Czasopismo Psychologiczne (Psychological Journal). 18(2), 361-369.
Porter, N., & Claridge, A. M. (2019). Unique grief experiences: The needs of emerging adults facing the death of a parent. Death Studies.
Ryan, S. C., Runkle, J. D., Sugg, M. M., Singh, D., Green, S., & Wertis, L. (2023). Spatio-temporal clustering of adolescent bereavement in the United States during the extended response to COVID-19: A follow-up study. Journal of Adolescent Health, 72(1), 156-159.
Sirrine, E. H., Kliner, O., & Gollery, T. J. (2023). College student experiences of grief and loss amid the COVID-19 global pandemic. OMEGA-Journal of Death and Dying, 87(3), 745-764.
Smith, J. A., & Osborn, M. (2007). Interpretative phenomenological analysis. In J. Smith (Ed.), Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods. London: SAGE Publications.
Smith, J. A., & Osborn, M. (2015). Interpretative phenomenological analysis as a useful methodology for research on the lived experience of pain. British journal of pain, 9(1), 41-42.
Smith, Jonathan & Flowers, Paul & Larkin, Michael. (2009). Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis: Theory, Method and Research.
Stroebe, M., Stroebe, W., Van De Schoot, R., Schut, H., Abakoumkin, G., & Li, J. (2014). Guilt in bereavement: The role of self-blame and regret in coping with loss. PLoS One, 9(5), e96606.
Tan, J., & Andriessen, K. (2021). The experiences of grief and personal growth in university students: a qualitative study. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(4), 1899.
Tyrrell, P., Harberger, S., Schoo, C., & Siddiqui, W. (2023). Kubler-Ross Stages of Dying and Subsequent Models of Grief. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing.
Verdery, A. M., Smith-Greenaway, E., Margolis, R., & Daw, J. (2020). Tracking the reach of COVID-19 kin loss with a bereavement multiplier applied to the United States. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(30), 17695-17701.