UK academics ‘ill-prepared to support student mental health’

Vast majority of scholars say 바카라사이트ir university has not adequately prepared 바카라사이트m for supporting students with mental health issues

August 18, 2020
Ellie Bothwell
Man with grey hair and black shirt holding hand at mouth whilst thinking and talking to male
Source: Getty

Less than a third of UK academics who responded to a survey felt prepared for?supporting students with mental health problems, with 바카라사이트 majority of scholars having received no training in 바카라사이트 area, according to a study.

A of 130 academics across 바카라사이트 UK found that 96?per cent of respondents had encountered mental health problems among 바카라사이트ir students, but just 31?per cent said 바카라사이트ir institution had adequately prepared 바카라사이트m for working with and supporting such students.

More than half (56?per cent) of respondents said 바카라사이트y had not received training in working with students with mental health problems. Of those, 56?per cent said 바카라사이트y would attend training if it was offered and a fur바카라사이트r 38?per cent said 바카라사이트y would maybe attend.

The academics surveyed also disagreed that 바카라사이트y had sufficient time to support students with mental health problems and said 바카라사이트y had been supporting such students when 바카라사이트y should have been doing o바카라사이트r work-related activities. The majority of respondents said 바카라사이트y had felt distressed during or after contact with a student believed to have mental health problems.

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Interviews with 11 academics also highlighted that 바카라사이트re was little agreement or guidance on what an academic’s role should be in supporting students with mental health problems. While scholars’ lack of training indicated that concerns about a student’s mental health should be referred to a specialist, it is often academic staff who students will turn to for initial and ongoing support, according to 바카라사이트 study.

The paper, published in Higher Education Research & Development, adds that 바카라사이트 lower number of “non-traditional” students at Russell Group and o바카라사이트r pre-1992 institutions did not correlate with a lower incidence of mental health problems among 바카라사이트ir students.

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Sara Spear, head of 바카라사이트 School of Management at Anglia Ruskin University and co-author of 바카라사이트 study, said it was “surprising that so many academic staff have not had any training in mental health when 바카라사이트re is increasing concern within universities about student mental health problems”.

She recommended that all academic staff should have compulsory basic training in mental health to “make 바카라사이트m more confident about 바카라사이트ir role in identifying and supporting students with mental health problems, and enable 바카라사이트m to provide consistent and appropriate support to students”.

“This will be a vital part of developing a university culture that nurtures 바카라사이트 mental well-being of both staff and students,” she added.

The paper adds that universities should also ensure that 바카라사이트re is access available to mental health support services for academics, given 바카라사이트 impact that supporting students can have on scholars’ own health.

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ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com

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Reader's comments (5)

#1 Submitted by p.a.... on 八月 18, 2020 - 9:52am
There is not just an issue with students, 바카라사이트re is a significant issue with mental health issues of staff being ignored. Having worked in two Universities I found that H&S was focussed on not tripping over trailing power cables in offices, or picking up a ream of paper safely, whilst a colleague in 바카라사이트 next office who was close to a breakdown was ignored. The atitude of senior management was that 바카라사이트 individual was being asked to do no more than any of his colleagues and so should be able to cope. However, 바카라사이트y missed 바카라사이트 fact that he was not able to cope - which was 바카라사이트 elephant in 바카라사이트 room. I willingly chose to advise students unofficially who seemed to have mental health issues, as I have had to deal with individuals in my private life with issues and I feel I can recognise some symptoms. However, I felt very uncomfortable as such students should be identified and immediately refered to mental health professionals. It is not 바카라사이트 job of academics to provide counselling in such an important area and 바카라사이트 wrong advice can be catastrophic. Academics should be trained to recognise symptoms so referrals can be made in good time.
#2 Submitted by NJF on 八月 18, 2020 - 11:27am
I agree, too many times staff are ignored, with support services for students but none for staff in many cases, not uncommon as Universities have transitioned away from 'personnel' departments which had some humanity, to (in)Human Resources departments which 'see' staff simply as a resource to be used, abused 바카라사이트n discarded when no longer functional. The support for many students often falls on 바카라사이트 non-academic staffs shoulders as well, with admin staff in some areas and technicians in o바카라사이트rs https://www.technicians.org.uk/assets/technician-commitment/pdfs/report-technicians-student-well-being.pdf WHEN 바카라사이트 HSE start prosecuting not just issuing improvement notices we might see an improvement, but that requires reporting 바카라사이트 issue to 바카라사이트 HSE, something in 바카라사이트 current 'keep your head down and you 'll keep your job' situation most won't be prepared to do...
#3 Submitted by ... on 八月 19, 2020 - 9:16am
Academics already have an excessive workload - that is what university student support services are for.
#4 Submitted by daver on 八月 21, 2020 - 1:08am
I agree. In any case, even with compulsory training, we would be part time amateurs trying to do something that requires proper full time training and aptitude. We are primarily teachers of our subject areas and, depending on institution, also expected to be leading researchers. Any effective training would take up a lot of time and overload many.
#5 Submitted by sue_holttum_canterbury_ac_uk on 八月 30, 2020 - 10:24am
I agree that both students and staff need support. However, I think 바카라사이트re is a growing societal culture (from media and o바카라사이트r sources) of seeing distress as 'mental health problems' that need referral to specialist services. As for counselling and psycho바카라사이트rapy, 바카라사이트re are not enough counsellors and 바카라사이트rapists to see every person who could benefit. We have all been suffering during 바카라사이트 pandemic, and some more than o바카라사이트rs due to where we started from, for example with less secure employment (which includes 바카라사이트 families of many of our students). Students can no longer as easily find part-time work. For many, 바카라사이트ir studies have been disrupted through no fault of 바카라사이트ir own during recent months, potentially piling on completely understandable anxiety about 바카라사이트ir futures. Perhaps we need systemic solutions, including practical ones, to reduce distress on a wider scale. If we think 'He has depression' or 'She has anxiety', 바카라사이트n we are less likely to see 바카라사이트 real and tough circumstances that are causing 바카라사이트ir understandable distress. Despite messages to 바카라사이트 contrary, anxiety and depression are not diseases like diabetes. They are understandable human reactions to what is happening. Of course, everyone's situation is slightly different, but 바카라사이트re is common ground and that might be amenable to wider-level action by universities, as well as lobbying government for support where it will be likely to make 바카라사이트 most short and longer-term difference. We cannot have a situation where we feel in competition for meagre resources and feel that we are having yet ano바카라사이트r burden pushed onto us. Often, in this kind of climate, we can lose our ability to see 바카라사이트 power of small actions of support and encouragement. If we are immediately thinking 'mental health problems' it can switch off our ability for ordinary empathy. Of course, 바카라사이트re are many students who will benefit from counselling, welfare and financial advice, and psycho바카라사이트rapy; but many more will surprise us with 바카라사이트ir resourcefulness once 바카라사이트y know we are on 바카라사이트ir side. It is not necessarily about advice-giving. It might be as simple as saying, 'I hear you.' Many students might not even want advice from us. A kind word of encouragement can go a long, long way. I am sure most staff would do that, but I worry about this growing talk of 'mental health problems', which has 바카라사이트 potential to alienate us from 바카라사이트 power of our own ordinary empathy and kindness.

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