Download Student mental health issues in higher education

Student mental health issues
in higher education: a
departmental case study
Durham University Inaugural Learning and Teaching Conference
13th September 2016
St Aidan’s College
Dr Andrew Russell & Immy Black
[email protected]; [email protected]
Outline
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Background: student internships in Anthropology
Student mental health – an issue of increasing concern
Methods
Findings
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•
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Academic adviser system
Resources for student support
Deadline pile-up a particular pinch point
Decision tree flowcharts would help clarify options available
for students with academic and health and welfare difficulties
• Conclusions and recommendations
Background: Student Internships in
Anthropology
• Every year, up to 10 four to six week summer internships
are offered to 2nd year students in Anthropology
• Staff propose projects, students selected on a preference
system
• Each student receives a bursary from the department of
£160 per week.
• Normally set up to assist with staff research projects,
departmental collections and outreach
• Less frequently used for learning and teaching ‘service
evaluation’ type issues
Student mental health and disability issues: a
case study of the Anthropology Department
• One of the outcomes of a joint report prepared by Andrew
Russell and Immy Black for the department’s Education
Committee (February 2016)
• Immy Black and Amelia McLoughlin (former chair of
DUSWDA) selected as interns
• Supervised by Dr Andrew Russell (DDR) and Dr Trudi Buck
(DUGS)
• Collaboration with Disability Support (Deborah Altman &
Hilary Osborne), the Counselling Service (Caroline Dower),
and Caroline Walker-Gleaves (Faculty of Social Sciences
and Health)
Increasing occurrence of mental health
issues reported by university students
• Occurrence is common. According to NUS
survey…
• 78% of students experience mental health
problems while at university
• 54% do not seek support
• Various possible causes
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Financial
Reduced stigma
Social media
Others
Currently, students can seek
support from a range of services
University
Disability
Support
Module
convener
GP
College
welfare
Student
Mentor
Dept.
Disability
Rep
Student
Academic
Advisers
Nightline
University
Counselling
Service
Student
Union
Friends and
Family
Diversity
and
Equality
Officer
Gathered input widely to assess current effectiveness
of mental health support in Anthropology
• 22 students responded to the online survey
• 13 first years, 8 second years, 1 third year
• Five major subjects that include Anthropology
• Academic and non-academic staff in Anthropology
• Non-departmental, Durham staff
• Professional staff at Oxford, Cambridge, Newcastle
Universities
Academic Adviser ‘system’ would be
more effective if the roles were clarified
• Role can be unclear to
students (and staff)
• Wide variation in
students’ description of
the role
• Advisers can feel illprepared for mental
health conversations
• No students included
pastoral or welfare
issues within the role
How frequently have you
met with your Academic
Adviser?
once
or not
at all
once a
year
once a
term
Current support resources do not
appear aligned with student needs
• About half the students
have ‘never’ or ‘once’
used the Student
Support Handbook
• 8 out of 10 students
wanted more study
skills and life skills
• Delivery does not have
to be in curriculum
6
first year
second year
4
4
third year
Number of students
• <20% of students aware
of / attended any
University skills
workshops
How often students used the
Departmental Student Support
Handbook
3
2
2
1
0
never
0
once
0 0 0
occasionally frequently
Aside from annual meetings with Academic Advisers,
students seek help predominantly from friends
Which other resources have you used to
answer any academic concerns?
86%
46%
36%
23%
14%
Friends in your
College
Friends not in
year group and Parents/friends your subject
modules
in the year
above
Module
Convenors
9%
College Welfare Departmental
Student
Mentors
Quick Wins
• Create academic adviser
handbook
• Agree/clarify role of
academic adviser
• Reduce deadline pile-up
• Promote peer help
• Publish decision tree
flowcharts in student
support handbooks
• UG, PGT, PGR
• Academic, Health and
Welfare concerns
UG Academic Concern Decision Tree
UG Health and Welfare Concern Decision Tree
Ideas for 2016/17
• Create Academic
Adviser microsite
(e.g., on DUO)
• Remind students of resources available
throughout the year
• Review and refine staff training to improve
confidence in handling mental health concerns
• Enhance students’ study / life skills training
• Review Disability Support Notification system
Summary
• Internships offer a useful way of generating knowledge
about teaching and learning service delivery issues,
particularly from the student perspective
• Mental health concerns in students increasing
• Basic structure of existing support systems is suitable…
• ... but roles and suggested pathways should be clarified
• Quick wins, at little cost, include publishing decision tree
flowcharts
• Longer term recommendations include more targeted
training and creating an academic adviser microsite