LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. — The loss of a parent, grandparent, friend or sibling is a challenging thing to go through for people of all ages. Grief influences so many people’s daily lives and often makes it hard for those to perform everyday simple activities such as taking a shower or brushing their teeth. The topic of loss raises the question of how it affects teens and their academic performance.

In the United States, 20% of American students experience the death of a loved one by the time they turn 18, and 5% of students lose one or both of their parents by the time they graduate from high school. 

People going through a grieving period often experience feelings such as guilt, anger, loneliness, sadness and numbness. These strong feelings can distract youth from focusing on their academic achievements.

“Grief can make it really hard for high schoolers to focus on school. When you’re grieving, you might feel sad, tired or even angry, which makes it harder to concentrate in class or finish homework,” said Los Alamitos High School psychologist Mrs. Belisle.

Experiencing this type of emotional pain can also cause difficulty sleeping, lack of motivation and overwhelming thoughts that can negatively influence academic performance. Exhaustion, apathy and persistent negative thoughts make it extremely difficult for students to focus on studying and learning in class. 

According to the National Library of Medicine, there have been multiple studies that examined students in America who have experienced the death of a parent. Grieving high school students in particular showed lower test scores than non-grieving students. 

“You may just be sitting in class and everything’s fine, and then maybe something just reminds you of that person or that incident, and (that) can almost freeze you to where all of a sudden your mind is wandering and thinking about that and not necessarily focusing on what’s going on,” said LAHS WellSpace counselor Mrs. Ledterman.

It can be hard for students to learn and focus on schoolwork if they constantly worry about coping with and suppressing their emotions. Grief can also cause problems in the relationships of those experiencing it. 

“Students are not really sure how to comfort someone and what to do and say. (They’re) worried about saying the wrong thing when in reality, all (they) need to do is say, ‘I’m here for you,’” Mrs. Ledterman said.

Students who are friends with those who have gone through a loss often do not know what do and can unintentionally distance themselves from the struggling person to avoid uncomfortable situations. 

So many students struggle with feelings of grief, and it can take a long time to get over them. At LAHS, many resources and support exist for students who struggle with these feelings. 

“A lot of students going through grief talk to the counselors,” Mrs. Ledterman said. “They can also speak to school psychologists.”

Ultimately, grief can have large negative effects on students of all ages. From distracting them from their schoolwork to creating problems in their relationships, it makes everything more difficult. Those experiencing difficult feelings and falling behind in school can speak to academic counselors, psychologists and Wellness Center counselors to help better understand and cope with their feelings.