Exploring bereavement in Albanian students

The study explored how Albanian college students grieve. Forty-three Albanians (40 living in the U.S. and 3 living in Albania) who had lost a loved one between six months to 10 years completed this study online. The study addressed the behaviors, emotions, and thoughts Albanian college students engaged in during the loss. In addition, what participants abstained from and what they found most helpful were also examined. Lastly, a number of predictors of grief outcomes were explored. Several themes emerged from the results, including the importance of being with friends and family during the loss and abstaining from social functions. In addition, financial decline, less religiosity and spirituality, and more social support were associated with worse grief outcome. Implications for therapy, theoretical implications, and future directions are discussed.Department of Psychological ScienceThesis (M.A.