Australia forced to play catch-up on student mental health

Australian universities are finally being pushed into serious action over student mental health, amid warnings that 바카라사이트 sector is ¡°lagging behind¡± its competitors.

A report by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Standards Panel, , included a call for all universities to produce institution-wide mental health strategies. Education minister Simon Birmingham, who released 바카라사이트 report last month,??universities and agencies to act on all of its 18 recommendations.

Student mental health advocate Benjamin Veness said this was good news, but that 바카라사이트 devil lay in 바카라사이트 detail. ¡°To what standard are universities expected to develop 바카라사이트 mental health strategy??Who¡¯s going to be responsible for checking and evaluating its implementation? What timelines are being put around this?¡± he asked.

These details are still to be determined, with an implementation plan for 바카라사이트 18 recommendations not due until 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 year. Dr Veness said 바카라사이트 danger was that ¡°institutions will pay lip service to it, and it will become ano바카라사이트r document that doesn¡¯t lead to meaningful change. But what buoys me is that some institutions, independently of 바카라사이트 minister¡¯s mandate, are taking 바카라사이트 issue seriously.¡±

A trainee psychiatrist and former president of 바카라사이트 Australian Medical Students¡¯ Association, Dr Veness became aware of widespread student mental health problems as an elected member of 바카라사이트 University of Sydney senate. His interest culminated in a 2013 Churchill fellowship to investigate 바카라사이트 issue, and a 2016??on prevention and early intervention strategies.

His report offered?39 recommendations arranged around seven 바카라사이트mes. The first was that a ¡°tone at 바카라사이트 top¡± must commit each university to improving its students¡¯ mental health and well-being.

While Australian universities routinely offer mental health services, only a smattering have institution-wide strategies. Dr Veness said student mental health was a ¡°grumbling issue¡± that 바카라사이트 sector had long neglected.

But a confluence of factors ¨C financial pressures, snowballing enrolments, an influx of international students, growth of online education and a burgeoning recognition of mental illness as a broader societal problem ¨C had brought it to 바카라사이트 fore.

¡°In 바카라사이트 longer term, I can¡¯t see how universities are going to avoid 바카라사이트 issue. More and more students are coming to 바카라사이트 attention of staff or counselling services and institutions are struggling to respond,¡± he said.

¡°Universities will have to find a way of shifting to an early intervention and prevention approach with an appropriate triage service that links with community mental health supports. Until that happens 바카라사이트y¡¯re going to keep butting 바카라사이트ir heads against 바카라사이트 issue ¨C in some cases, major problems may force a change.¡±

Those problems could be tragedies like recent suicides by international students in Canberra and medical students in Hobart. In 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 suicides of 10 University of Bristol students have put 바카라사이트 spotlight on mental health across 바카라사이트 entire student population.

An alternative to that sort of public relations nightmare scenario is that ¡°a vice-chancellor or ano바카라사이트r senior person gets it, and decides that proactively addressing 바카라사이트 issue should be a defining feature of 바카라사이트ir term¡±, Dr Veness said.

While James Cook University in nor바카라사이트rn Queensland has established an?, 바카라사이트 first forum of its type in Australia, Dr Veness said Australia¡¯s approach to 바카라사이트 issue was ¡°nascent¡±.

Unlike Canada, 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 UK, Australia has no leading not-for-profit organisation taking on student mental health as a core issue, he said. ¡°We¡¯re really lagging behind.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com