Differences in university experiences, support seeking, and mental well-being in Australian university students according to bereavement status.

In Australia, nearly half of university students report high levels of distress during their studies. Bereavement increases a student's risk of mood changes, eating disorders, suicide, poorer academic achievement, and attrition. We used an online, quantitative, cross-sectional survey to investigate the prevalence of bereaved students in Australian universities and differences between bereaved and non-bereaved university students' mental well-being, university connectedness, current grade average, and support experiences. Findings indicated 22.3% of students experienced bereavement in the previous 24 months. Bereaved students had higher ratings of perceived social support than non-bereaved peers. There were no significant differences in mental well-being, grade averages, and university connectedness once sex, living arrangements, enrolment type (full/part-time), and religious affiliation were controlled. Bereaved students who continued their studies showed resilience and a preference for social support. Findings present a rationale for universities to harness resources to support bereaved students throughout their studies to promote engagement and retention.