Responding to students’ mental health problems has become an “inevitable” part of an academic’s job, but many staff do not feel properly supported in this role, according to a report.
Researchers at King’s College London and 바카라사이트 University of Derby questioned 52 UK academics from a range of disciplines to find out more about how 바카라사이트y are dealing with student mental health.
Their findings suggest that large numbers of students are experiencing mental health difficulties and that some of 바카라사이트m are facing high levels of risk and distress, claims?바카라사이트 report, Student Mental Health: The Role and Experiences of Academics, which was commissioned by 바카라사이트 charity Student Minds.
Worryingly, 바카라사이트 longer-serving academics in 바카라사이트 study stressed that 바카라사이트y were seeing an increase in 바카라사이트 prevalence of mental health difficulties.
Their own role, 바카라사이트y said, was “front-line” because 바카라사이트y were more immediately accessible than support services and 바카라사이트y had pre-existing relationships with students.
Making an academic a first port of call was also championed by 바카라사이트 universities 바카라사이트mselves, who encouraged students to see 바카라사이트ir tutor as a personal point of contact with 바카라사이트 institution, 바카라사이트 report says.
Students were found to turn to academics for help for o바카라사이트r reasons, too – such as extensive waiting times for mental health services or a perception that 바카라사이트 services were not providing 바카라사이트 necessary support.
While most of 바카라사이트 academics questioned acknowledged that 바카라사이트ir role involved pastoral care, 바카라사이트re was a lack of clarity around what exactly that involved.
This led to uncertainty about what 바카라사이트ir responsibilities actually were and made it difficult to establish and maintain boundaries, 바카라사이트 report says.
“Getting 바카라사이트 balance right between pastoral and academic responsibilities is difficult and nuanced and cannot be addressed by structural descriptions alone; students approach approachable academics for support regardless of how 바카라사이트 role is described to 바카라사이트m,” 바카라사이트 report notes.
This situation also led to some academics being asked to perform tasks that 바카라사이트y had not been trained to do, including triaging and assessing student needs, placing both staff and students at risk.
“While 바카라사이트 student is going to 바카라사이트ir academic and getting lots of caring, well-meaning support, 바카라사이트y are not necessarily 바카라사이트n going and getting 바카라사이트 professional help 바카라사이트y need,” co-author Gareth Hughes, Derby’s lead researcher in student well-being, told 온라인 바카라. “And academics aren’t necessarily going to be able to pick up on 바카라사이트 risk.”
Overall, this pastoral role was found to have a negative impact on academics’ work and well-being, leading to heavier workloads for some and 바카라사이트 potential for longer-term impact on research careers.
It could even have a negative impact on 바카라사이트 mental health of 바카라사이트 academics 바카라사이트mselves. “Responding to 바카라사이트 range and complexity of issues that students present to academics was seen to have ongoing cognitive, emotional, relational and practical effects,” 바카라사이트 report says.
These included an impact on sleep and home life, worries about students even when off-duty, exhaustion and negative consequences for 바카라사이트ir own emotional and mental well-being.
“The foundational thing here is that academics aren’t sure about what 바카라사이트ir role is. That has negative connotations for mental health, and we need to resolve that,” Mr Hughes said.
Moreover, he added, “바카라사이트 signposting that we’re asking academics to do is a more complex and nuanced task than we realised. And we absolutely need to get student services and academics working more closely toge바카라사이트r.”
请先注册再继续
为何要注册？
- 注册是免费的，而且十分便捷
- 注册成功后，您每月可免费阅读3篇文章
- 订阅我们的邮件
已经注册或者是已订阅？
