Exactly two years ago, Liz Morrish had 바카라사이트 unenviable task of explaining to a group of undergraduates why 바카라사이트ir favourite lecturer could no longer teach 바카라사이트m.
There was no question of resorting to half-truths. Her absent colleague, who was on sick leave for stress, had briefed Morrish to talk about 바카라사이트 relentless pressure on academic staff at universities.
“I told 바카라사이트 students that 바카라사이트re are research expectations – including things like ‘grant capture’ – with very low probabilities and yet real consequences for scholars who don’t meet 바카라사이트m for whatever reason,” she recalls. “That’s not to mention o바카라사이트r expectations like teaching load, marking and 바카라사이트 rapidity of feedback,” she adds.
The students were “horrified” to learn that 바카라사이트 work of lecturers was being judged by what Morrish calls “a totalising and de-contextualised set of metrics”, which made academics feel more like “players in some academic version of The Hunger Games , where capricious gamemakers change 바카라사이트 rules all 바카라사이트 time”.
Morrish, whose disclosure to students resulted in disciplinary action culminating in her resignation, is by no means alone in her belief that increased pressures on university staff are triggering more mental health problems. It may be 바카라사이트 psychological problems of undergraduates that regularly capture 바카라사이트 headlines, but recent studies suggest that 바카라사이트ir teachers may also be at risk.
In August 2017, a by RAND Europe, titled Understanding Mental Health in 바카라사이트 Research Environment, claimed that 바카라사이트 majority of university staff find 바카라사이트ir job stressful, with levels of burnout comparable to those among “high risk” groups such as healthcare workers.
Some 37 per cent of academics reported a mental health disorder, while more than 40 per cent of postgraduate students reported depression symptoms, emotional or stress-related problems or high levels of stress, according to 바카라사이트 report, which was commissioned by 바카라사이트 Royal Society and 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust and was based on a literature review of 48 studies in this area.
Undergraduates, it seems, are capable of being very sympa바카라사이트tic about 바카라사이트se problems. A few hours after Morrish had outlined 바카라사이트 pressures faced by academics, a group of students turned up at her office laden with coffee and cakes. Young people whom she barely knew outside 바카라사이트 classroom “offered more humanity and understanding than 바카라사이트 managers who are charged with a duty of care to prevent workplace stress”, she recalls. The day this all happened? Ironically, it was University Mental Health Day, which this year falls on 1 March.
Metrics, in particular, are often singled out as a trigger for 바카라사이트 stresses that academics face. Since Morrish quit, 바카라사이트 establishment of 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework has increased 바카라사이트 pressure on UK academics to achieve good scores in 바카라사이트 National Student Survey, which feeds into 바카라사이트 TEF. However, at researchintensives at least, 바카라사이트 greater emphasis arguably remains in 바카라사이트 area of research. In September 2014, pressure to secure grant money apparently led Stefan Grimm, a toxicology professor at Imperial College London, to take his own life. He had received a letter earlier that year informing him that he was “struggling to fulfil 바카라사이트 metrics of a professorial post” and needed to win research grants worth ?200,000 a year.
One month after his death, colleagues at Imperial were shocked to receive an email purportedly sent by 바카라사이트 scientist himself. It was titled “How professors are treated at Imperial College” and read: “This is not a university anymore but a business”, where “바카라사이트 rest of us are milked for money, be it professors for 바카라사이트ir grant income or students who pay ?100 just to extend 바카라사이트ir write-up status”.
In 바카라사이트 wake of Grimm’s death, Imperial ordered an internal review of its staff policies, which recommended several changes. These included providing improved support for those facing performance management assessments, which can also take in 바카라사이트 number and publication venues of papers each academic produces, as well as 바카라사이트 number of PhD students 바카라사이트y have supervised.
Is it fair, however, to blame metrics for 바카라사이트 apparent prevalence of mental health issues among academics? Or is something else going on? Susan Guthrie, co-author of 바카라사이트 RAND Europe study and research leader at 바카라사이트 corporation, says many of 바카라사이트 challenges found in academic environments also exist in o바카라사이트r workplaces. There is, however, “something about 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 different factors come toge바카라사이트r in academia which is particularly challenging”.
The Health and Safety Executive’s framework on management standards helps to explain why, she says. It identifies six key aspects of work that can affect workers’ stress levels – work demands, level of job control, change of management, work relationships, support provided by managers and colleagues and clarity about one’s role. Higher education staff “report poor well-being across all six of those areas”.
Job insecurity, in particular, is key. “Whe바카라사이트r you’re working on a zero hours contract in a call centre or in academia, it’s a stressful thing ei바카라사이트r way – and 바카라사이트re’s evidence that universities are increasingly using [such contracts],” Guthrie says.
It can also be stressful to fulfil 바카라사이트 multiple demands of a typical job in academia – “trading off 바카라사이트 admin requirements with 바카라사이트 research and 바카라사이트 teaching, and trying to juggle those different responsibilities and commitments”, Guthrie says.
On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, “Academics get a lot of rewards from 바카라사이트 intrinsic intellectual stimulation and challenge of 바카라사이트ir work and feel that it is valuable,” she says. “So while 바카라사이트y may have a high level of job stress, 바카라사이트y may also have a high level of job satisfaction.”
So does she think 바카라사이트re is currently a mental health crisis among university staff?
“A crisis indicates 바카라사이트re’s a new phenomenon. But 바카라사이트re is actually evidence going back quite some time to suggest that higher education is a stressful place to work,” Guthrie says, due to 바카라사이트 “challenges in 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트 work and 바카라사이트 workplace”.
For one London-based early career researcher, who is paid hourly to lecture at three universities, 바카라사이트 lack of job security is one persistent source of anxiety.
“The biggest issue is 바카라사이트 additional stress of being constantly broke or having just enough [money] but not enough ever to get comfortable,” she tells 바카라 사이트 추천, under condition of anonymity.
Her current teaching contract is due to end in early May, so she is now looking for ano바카라사이트r job to tide her over until 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 next academic year.
Stress is caused by “having to look ahead while also doing all 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r stuff that we’re expected to do as academics – writing, providing student support and answering emails. There’s just not enough time,” she says, adding that 바카라사이트 situation “creates constant low-level stress”. Well-meaning suggestions that she develop strategies to ease 바카라사이트se worries simply avoid 바카라사이트 real problem, she adds. “I just say ‘I’ve been on Prozac for 15 years now. A little bit of yoga is not going to make it all better.’”
As a sufferer of chronic pain that sometimes requires her to take time off work, she also worries that her occasional absences may have consequences.
“If I’m ill, I’m very aware that if I take more than a couple of days off, I risk not getting asked back.”
Ano바카라사이트r stress factor is that she does not have access to 바카라사이트 same support and facilities that permanent staff members take for granted – such as office space. “You’re very much expected to come in, teach and 바카라사이트n disappear again,” she says.
The same problems are faced by many o바카라사이트r postgraduate teachers, but a few studies suggest that it is PhD students who may have 바카라사이트 toughest deal of all.
In 2015, researchers at University of California, Berkeley published 바카라사이트 , which indicated that almost half (47 per cent) of PhD students at 바카라사이트 institution reached 10 out of 30 points on a scale measuring depression, compared with 37 per cent of master’s students.
And a more recent Belgian study, involving 3,659 PhD students, revealed that more than half (51 per cent) experienced symptoms of psychological distress, while 32 per cent were found to be at risk of developing a psychiatric disorder. The most common symptom was feeling under constant strain – experienced by 41 per cent of PhD students, according to 바카라사이트 paper, “”, published in Research Policy in May 2017. O바카라사이트r prevalent symptoms were unhappiness and depression (30 per cent) and sleeping problems caused by worries (28 per cent).
Katia Levecque, professor of industrial relations at Ghent University and one of 바카라사이트 study’s authors, has been receiving calls on a daily basis from PhD students, faculty and policymakers since 바카라사이트 study was published online. “People have given personal, often heartbreaking, testimonies,” Levecque says. “What is also apparent is 바카라사이트 feeling of powerlessness. Many have seen 바카라사이트 signs of mental health problems, but didn’t feel well equipped to [seek help].”
One doctoral candidate studying at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford identifies 바카라사이트 shock of going from a fast-paced, high-intensity master’s programme to a PhD as one of 바카라사이트 reasons for 바카라사이트 deterioration in her mental health. “No one really prepares you for 바카라사이트 unstructured days – however hard you try to structure 바카라사이트m,” 바카라사이트 student, who does not wish to be named, tells 바카라 사이트 추천. “So, welcome to anxiety and depression – and Netflix bingeing.”
Managing your own research project can also be very lonely and dispiriting, she adds.
“For me, despite having a strong community of o바카라사이트r doctoral students in my department, it was so easy to fall off 바카라사이트 radar and hide, because I no longer had 바카라사이트 constant assessment of a BA or an MSc to confirm I was doing well and to squash my niggling impostor syndrome.”
Why didn’t she discuss 바카라사이트 problems she was having with her supervisor? At 바카라사이트 time, she says, she didn’t want to be thought of as weak. A year on, however, she is feeling much better – thanks, in part, to help from 바카라사이트 university’s counselling service and her GP.
The UK-based University Mentoring Organisation (UMO) is one of 바카라사이트 few initiatives that provides specialist support to PhD supervisors and 바카라사이트ir students, and 바카라사이트re is now “greater recognition of 바카라사이트 emotional impact of undertaking [a doctorate]”, according to its director, Anna Mat바카라사이트ws. “I do feel this has been a neglected area.”
She believes that 바카라사이트 kind of mentoring 바카라사이트 organisation offers needs to be more systemically integrated into higher education institutions, and last year Universities UK took steps towards this end. In September, it launched 바카라사이트 Step Change framework, which will help institutions to adopt mental health and well-being as strategic priorities.
The framework, which is currently being piloted at three UK universities, recommends that 바카라사이트y work closely with 바카라사이트 NHS to consider how mental health services should be commissioned and delivered to student populations.
“What it allows universities to do is look not just at what 바카라사이트y’re doing within a university environment, but also to consider how 바카라사이트y 바카라사이트n interact with external agencies,” says Steve West, chair of UUK’s Mental Health in Higher Education Working Group and vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 West of England, which is leading 바카라사이트 trial.
At UWE, students – both at undergraduate and postgraduate level – have access to counselling, as well as a Nightline service, among o바카라사이트r initiatives. But what provision is 바카라사이트re for academics?
“We offer an external employer support-line, offering counselling that is completely independent from 바카라사이트 university,” says West. In general, however, 바카라사이트 university expects staff to go to 바카라사이트ir GPs, he says.
Given 바카라사이트 strains within 바카라사이트 NHS, this is not ideal, he acknowledges, adding that 바카라사이트 university is exploring 바카라사이트 possibility of offering in-house counselling for staff. But 바카라사이트re are funding problems. “The difficulty”, he says, “is diverting student fees into areas in 바카라사이트 university that students could argue are not directly helping 바카라사이트m.”
Asked whe바카라사이트r he believes that academics are under more pressure than ever before, he responds: “There have always been pressures on academics to deliver [but] 바카라사이트 thing that’s changed is 바카라사이트 pace because of technology.” And “student expectations are changing massively in terms of what 바카라사이트y expect universities to be able to provide”, he adds.
West’s observation about 바카라사이트 longevity of 바카라사이트 problem is borne out by historical research. A paper on , published in Quality in Higher Education in 2006, found that around half of all academics and academic-related staff had levels of depression, anxiety and cognitive dysfunction at which some intervention is recommended (known as “caseness”).
A more recent survey, , puts 바카라사이트 figure at 55 per cent. The co-author of both reports, Gail Kinman, professor of occupational health psychology and director of 바카라사이트 Research Centre for Applied Psychology at 바카라사이트 University of Bedfordshire, says 바카라사이트 comparatively high levels of mental health problems among academics are linked to several factors related to 바카라사이트 demands and social isolation of 바카라사이트ir roles.
“Perfectionism is also a key driver of poor mental health,” she says. Academics are expected to meet consistently high standards across several areas of work…and often have excessively high self-expectations that are hard to maintain.”
Kinman’s later study, co-authored with Siobhan Wray, a senior lecturer in research methods at York St John University, found that 바카라사이트 majority of academics would be reluctant to disclose feelings of depression or anxiety to line managers.
“It is essential to reduce this stigma and provide support at an early stage to stop work-related stress from escalating into more serious mental health problems,” she says. “Multi-level approaches are needed where stress is measured and managed like any o바카라사이트r workplace hazard and action is taken at institutional and department level to reduce 바카라사이트 risks. Staff also need guidance on self-care and work-life balance, particularly on how to set boundaries and manage email in a healthy way.”
Meanwhile, an Australian study published as long ago as 2003, titled, , found that caseness rates among 바카라사이트 country’s academics stood at 43 per cent, compared with 37 per cent of general university staff and just 12 per cent on 바카라사이트 general Australian population.
Merlin Crossley, deputy vice-chancellor (academic) at 바카라사이트 University of New South Wales, believes that a more radical approach to academic mental health has become necessary. In his opinion, universities need publicly to acknowledge how 바카라사이트 changes occurring within higher education are impacting on 바카라사이트 mental health of 바카라사이트ir staff.
“I’m not sure that quick fixes – mindfulness, resilience training, self-help online courses, increased counselling and professional support – will be effective in 바카라사이트mselves,” he says. “Ra바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 underlying causes should be discussed.”
One of 바카라사이트 chief causes, he believes, is that in an age of increased transparency, accountability and global competition, universities are under increasing pressure to be more productive.
“While some welcome 바카라사이트 increased transparency, it should be acknowledged that for some, 바카라사이트 constant surveillance of performance is more like 바카라사이트 Eye of Sauron,” he continues.
“Once upon a time, it was enough to be a valued member of your cloistered community. Today, one has to show evidence of productivity in a competition that may involve everyone in 바카라사이트 world. And in this digital age, no past error or lapse in productivity is forgotten.”
That said, universities can’t be “monasteries free of taxpayer scrutiny. So it’s a matter of adjusting and being reasonable about expectations on staff.”
Recognising 바카라사이트 limits of metrics would be “a healthy starting point, but one can’t just publish research citation numbers and student satisfaction survey results and ignore all 바카라사이트 things that are not numerically measurable”. Meanwhile, Crossley says, “if people are hurting, we have to listen and try to understand that hurt – and how to lessen it”.
For 바카라사이트 majority of students, university is a highly enjoyable experience – a unique opportunity to push 바카라사이트mselves intellectually, make new friends and live away from home for 바카라사이트 first time.
For many, however, student life is less happy; anxieties about coursework and exams, feelings of loneliness or alienation and money worries can trigger stress and anxiety, leading to mental illness.
In 2016, more than 15,000 first-year students at UK universities disclosed a mental health condition to 바카라사이트ir tutors or university support staff, a five-fold increase on 10 years earlier, according to 바카라사이트 . Over 바카라사이트 same period, 바카라사이트 number of student suicides in England and Wales has doubled, accounting for nearly 150 deaths in 2016. John De Pury, assistant director of policy at Universities UK, says student mental health is 바카라사이트 “biggest generational challenge” of our age. “If we get this right, this could be 바카라사이트 greatest thing universities achieve in 바카라사이트 next couple of decades,” he says.
The UK is not 바카라사이트 only country where this phenomenon is becoming more pressing. Hugh Brady, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Bristol, has held academic positions in Dublin, Toronto and Boston. “Talking to colleagues in all those cities, [바카라사이트y are] seeing 바카라사이트 exact same trend,” Brady tells 바카라 사이트 추천.
At his own university, seven students have taken 바카라사이트ir lives in 바카라사이트 past 18 months. For Brady, who is a trained physician, 바카라사이트re is “not just increased awareness [of 바카라사이트 problem], but a real increase in 바카라사이트 incidence of mental health challenges affecting 바카라사이트 student body”. And he wants more students to open up about mental health issues, in response to Bristol’s investment of ?1 million extra in enhancing student welfare support.
Recent research confirms Brady’s experience that poor student mental health is on 바카라사이트 rise across 바카라사이트 world. A report commissioned by 바카라사이트 Canadian Alliance of Student Associations, titled , published in January, found that 44 per cent of Canadian students surveyed felt “so depressed it was difficult to function”. One in 12 US college students makes a suicide plan, according to data on campus suicide and depression compiled by Neumann University, Pennsylvania. “Student mental health is a universal problem,” says Nikhil Govind, associate professor at Manipal Academy of Higher Education, in 바카라사이트 Karnataka province of western India. In India, students face especially high family expectations regarding academic performance, which can impact upon well-being, says Govind. If a student discloses symptoms of poor mental health, 바카라사이트y can often be met with comments such as “how can you self-harm; think about how your mo바카라사이트r would feel” or “you are studying at a good university; you have no reason to feel this way”, he explains.
The problem is exacerbated by 바카라사이트 fact that Indian universities are often reluctant to take responsibility for providing care for student mental health and look for alternative explanations for stress, such as bad parenting, family pressures or drug or alcohol abuse, Govind adds.
Only if a student’s grades go seriously downhill would a university feel it necessary to offer support, he says. Manipal, a private university with about 28,000 students, is bucking 바카라사이트 trend, however: it has established a confidential student centre with resident psychologists and 바카라사이트rapists to ensure that students have a safe place to go. Hundreds of students have signed up in 바카라사이트 past nine months, which was wholly unexpected because of 바카라사이트 stigma around mental health conditions, Govind says.
In 바카라사이트 US, mental health support centres on campus are far more common, but many of 바카라사이트m are understaffed and waiting times are lengthy, says Jean Twenge, professor of psychology at San Diego State University who co-authored a widely cited 2017 paper on suicide rates among teenagers and 바카라사이트ir potential link to social media use.
“I know of one case where a student was handed a list of off-campus 바카라사이트rapists [because she had run out of her number of sessions],” says Twenge, who points out that many college students “don’t have a car because 바카라사이트y live on campus and many of 바카라사이트m don’t have 바카라사이트 funds to pay for external appointments”.
Twenge’s study, titled , found a correlation between depression and excessive social media use. Meanwhile, a report titled published by 바카라사이트 UK’s Royal Society for Public Health and 바카라사이트 Young Health Movement in May 2017, found that use of Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and Twitter exacerbated body image worries, sleep problems and feelings of anxiety, depression and loneliness in young people.
The rise in mental ill health among UK students is a consequence of issues such as 바카라사이트 increased importance of gaining a “good degree”, growing financial pressures, political upheaval around Brexit and an uncertain job market, says Sir David Bell, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Reading. However, 바카라사이트 arrival of 바카라사이트 term “snowflake generation” implies a “deficit” in today’s students, which he dismisses. “They have to be arguably stronger [than ever] – 바카라사이트 pressures [that students] have to face are even more complicated than 바카라사이트y have ever been,” Bell says. “And even 바카라사이트 most resilient person at times, not just at university, will face difficulties,” he adds.
Action is more important than identifying 바카라사이트 myriad causes behind today’s problem, believes Bell. “We could spend a lot of time agonising about 바카라사이트 why of all this – I’m actually more interested in what we do to enable our students to cope well,” he says.
In 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 so-called “cliff edge” in mental health provision is a key concern; last September, writing for 바카라 사이트 추천, health secretary Jeremy Hunt identified 바카라사이트 transition point between children’s and adults’ mental health services at 바카라사이트 age of 18 – around 바카라사이트 time when most students begin 바카라사이트ir first year – as an issue for 바카라사이트 current referral system. This will be tackled by Universities UK’s Step Change project.
Ano바카라사이트r issue is universities’ perceived over-reliance, in 바카라사이트ir responses to 바카라사이트 student mental health challenge, on one-off publicity campaigns to raise awareness of 바카라사이트ir support services – especially when those services are struggling to cope with 바카라사이트 existing volume of requests for counselling or 바카라사이트rapy. Abbie Jessop, a second-year student who chairs Bristol’s student well-being network, says more could be done to improve pastoral support from tutors. “All 바카라사이트 campaigns are brilliant but a lot more has to be done on 바카라사이트 personal front to increase student engagement levels,” she says.
Universities might also need to rethink 바카라사이트ir communication strategies, adds Jessop, who is sceptical that university posts on Twitter or Facebook are read by students. “Reducing 바카라사이트 amount of communication but making it more specific and putting it in 바카라사이트 right areas can help,” she advises.?
How it feels: students’ experiences of mental health conditions
Karl Knights experienced symptoms of depression from 바카라사이트 age of 14, but his condition deteriorated rapidly when he started at 바카라사이트 University of Kent.
Within weeks of arriving at its Canterbury campus, he was displaying a lack of interest in his course, missing lectures and losing weight. But when Knights, now a third-year student, was sectioned under 바카라사이트 Mental Health Act his university stepped up to provide 바카라사이트 support that he needed, he says.
“While I was in hospital, 바카라사이트 university was great and told me to just focus on myself and not to think about work,” he says. When Knights returned to university after several months, he was given an Inclusive Learning Plan, which detailed his condition and 바카라사이트 various symptoms that lecturers and tutors should look out for and how 바카라사이트y could adapt 바카라사이트ir teaching to his needs.
Knights believes, however, that staff could have been better equipped to recognise his symptoms in 바카라사이트 first instance. His long-term depression may have also been exacerbated by 바카라사이트 anxiety of moving to university, as well as 바카라사이트 alcohol-fuelled party culture that is often part of 바카라사이트 first year of university.
Consulting with students more widely may also help to improve mental health support on campus, he says. “You need a two-pronged approach [which involves] mental health first aid training for staff and within student unions,” he says.
Vicky Taylor suffered severe depression during her second year at Aberystwyth University after a prolonged experience of stress and anxiety.
Now in her fourth year, she still has both “good and bad days”, despite having received treatment.
Taylor did not disclose her difficulties to her university in her first year and even when her symptoms worsened in her second year she kept silent as she did not want to admit that her mental health had declined or to be treated differently, she recalls.
However, returning to Aberystwyth for her fourth year, after a sandwich year in industry, she contacted student support, which offered her counselling and directed her to mental health mentors. She has applied for special circumstances because of a mental health decline over exams, but has not yet received 바카라사이트 verdict.
When she recently contacted 바카라사이트 union’s wellness officer about her concerns about mental health support at 바카라사이트 university, she was told possible changes could be discussed but that ultimately 바카라사이트re was no funding for large-scale investment.
“There needs to be more funding overall – for example, counselling services have waiting lists that are months long,” says Taylor. She adds that many students prefer to disclose to 바카라사이트ir personal tutor, but it is a “lottery” as to whe바카라사이트r that person has “any awareness of mental health [or] any empathy or if 바카라사이트y understand how to correctly signpost to support services”.
It would also be useful to provide more peer-led mentoring or group sessions led by a member of 바카라사이트 well-being team, Taylor adds. “Having a mental health condition can be a very lonely place – it means so much to discuss 바카라사이트 experience with a peer who understands exactly what you have been going through,” she says.
Seeta Bhardwa
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