University staff mental health literacy,stigma and their experience of students with mental health problems

Despite high rates of mental disorders in university students, very few seek professional help. University teaching staff are well placed to connect students with mental health care. However, little is known about university staff attitudes to and knowledge about mental health problems, or whether these factors influence their experience with and assistance of students with these problems. A total of 224 teaching staff members at the Australian National University, Canberra completed an anonymous online survey via an email link (16.4% response rate from N ~ 1370). Measures included demographic and professional information, experiences with student mental health, knowledge of depression (literacy) and attitudes to depression (stigma). Strength of stigmatising attitude did not predict whether a teaching staff member would approach a student to assist with mental health problems. Teaching staff with higher levels of depression literacy (OR = 1.14, p = 0.007) were more likely to feel sufficiently informed to help students with mental health problems. Ensuring staff complete mental health literacy training and have adequate skills to respond appropriately to students with mental health problems may help in connecting young people to appropriate care in a university context.     

Psychological distress and help seeking amongst higher education students: findings from a mixed method study of undergraduate nursing/midwifery and teacher education students in Ireland

Psychological distress as experienced by higher education students is of major concern because of its potential to adversely impact academic performance, retention, mental health and lifestyle. This paper reports a mixed method investigation of student self-reported psychological distress and help-seeking behaviour. The sample comprised all students (n?=?1557) registered on undergraduate nursing/midwifery and teacher education programmes at an Irish university. Participants (n?=?1112) completed the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) to determine their self-reported psychological distress and the Lifestyle Behaviour Questionnaire to examine sources of distress, lifestyle and demographic variables. Individual interviews (n?=?59) explored student experiences of psychological distress and their help-seeking behaviours. Forty two percent of respondents exceeded the GHQ threshold ≥5, which signifies risk of mental or physical health problems. Sources of distress included academic, financial and psychosocial stressors. Regression analysis identified that demographic, programmatic and lifestyle variables predicted GHQ scores. Despite the distress experienced, students were reluctant users of support services. Many actively avoided seeking help. These findings raise serious concerns about the extent of psychological distress among this population. They also alert education providers to be vigilant for student psychological distress and to provide effective interventions, cognisant of the impact of stigma on help seeking.     

A Review of Psychological Distress Among University Students: Pervasiveness,Implications and Potential Points of Intervention

A review of literature from the past 30 years establishes psychological distress as both a longstanding and current issue affecting university students worldwide. Poorer academic outcomes and problematic health behaviours are linked to students’ distress, and these wider implications also highlight the need for appropriate policies and services to support students during what is clearly a challenging time. Further review identified various socio-demographic, situational and academic factors as potential bases of students’ distress. Undoubtedly, the demands of the university lifestyle are inherently stressful; yet experiencing these as distressing is not inevitable. Rather, a review of links between university students’ psychological attributes and psychological distress indicates such attributes might be ideal points of intervention to ensure students are best equipped to manage the stressors of university, and greater attention in this area is recommended.     

体育锻炼实效性对大学生心理障碍的改善作用

当代大学生面临着越来越大的压力,由于客观环境的冲击和自身素质的缺乏,他们的心理健康状况往往令人担忧。依据近几年我国大学生心理健康状况调查资料,针对大学生存在一些比较严重的心理问题,探讨如何通过提高体育锻炼实效性,达到改善大学生心理健康状况的目的,提出在大学体育教学中加强心理健康教育的具体思路,从而推动高校体育教学更好地为大学生的心理健康服务。     

Community Consultation and Intervention: Supporting Students Who Do Not Access Counseling Services

Although the severity of psychological problems among college students and the demand for campus counseling services has increased, many students who could benefit from mental health services still do not access them. This article describes Community Consultation and Intervention, a program designed to support students who are unlikely to access professional help despite the best efforts of traditional counseling center outreach. Community Consultation and Intervention reaches into the campus community to intervene by advising faculty and staff who may be the only contact for a distressed student, taking on a nontraditional “student support” role in direct interactions with students, offering advocacy when university systems or other environmental stressors precipitate psychological problems, and providing case management and crisis intervention services on behalf of the university when troubled students are especially concerning and disruptive to their communities. The most novel element of the program—the student support role—is distinct from conventional counseling in that it privileges problem solving, support, advice, and advocacy over focusing on emotions and other traditional mental health interventions. Case studies and programmatic challenges are described.     

理工类研究生心理健康教育工作机制和心理危机干预机制的建构

与文史等专业的研究生相比,理工科研究生的心理健康问题突出表现为精神抑郁、社交心理障碍、学习倦怠、性别心理障碍。目前研究生心理健康教育工作总体上表现为计划性、系统性欠缺,方法单薄,专业人员配备不足,预防能力薄弱,应急处理的理论和经验缺乏等。本文基于上述这些因素,提出构建能从多层次、多方位促进研究生心理健康的三大保障体系;构建高校、院系、学生三级贯彻并落实研究生心理健康教育的工作体制;建立研究生心理问题筛查、干预、控制、跟踪一体化的工作机制,以应对心理危机。     

How universities can enhance student mental wellbeing: the student perspective

ABSTRACT

The growing prevalence and severity of mental health difficulties across university student populations is a critical issue for universities and their wider communities. Yet little is known about student perspectives on the stressors in university environments and the steps that universities could take to better support student mental wellbeing. This article reports on a study that collected and analyzed 2776 student responses to the question: What can be done to improve student wellbeing? Students made diverse recommendations that fell into seven categories: Academic teachers and teaching practices; student services and support; environment, culture and communication; course design; program administration; assessment; and student society activities. The findings from our study offer important insight to university educators and administrators about the role they can play in better supporting student wellbeing and preventing the high rates of psychological distress. We argue that the process of seeking and acting on students’ suggestions fosters students’ sense of inclusion and empowerment, and this is critical given that the goal of improving student mental wellbeing can only be achieved through an effective partnership between students and institutional actors.     

Psychological and demographic predictors of undergraduate non-attendance at university lectures and seminars

Absenteeism from university teaching sessions is increasingly becoming a common phenomenon and remains a major concern to universities. Poor attendance has significant and detrimental effects on students themselves, their peers and teaching staff. There is, however, a lack of previous research investigating demographic and psychological predictors of non-attendance alongside salient reasons students offer for their absence; it is this ‘gap’ that the present study attempts to fill. We approached 618 undergraduate university students from a single UK university studying various courses to complete a bespoke questionnaire assessing their estimated percentage attendance at lectures and seminars over the academic year. Students answered demographic questions, completed psychometric tests of perceived confidence (Perceived Confidence for Learning) and university belongingness (Psychological Sense of School Membership), and rated the degree to which possible reasons for non-attendance applied to themselves. Multiple regression analyses were carried out separately for estimated attendance at lectures and seminars. Results demonstrated that significant predictors of poorer attendance for both scenarios were experiencing a lower sense of belongingness to university; working more hours in paid employment; having more social life commitments; facing coursework deadlines; and experiencing mental health issues. Improving a sense of belonging to university and targeting interventions at students working in paid employment may be effective means of increasing attendance. Providing support for students with mental health issues, structuring courses around coursework deadlines and helping students to organise their attendance around social activities could also be advantageous.     

Stigma and student mental health in higher education

Stigma is a powerful force in preventing university students with mental health difficulties from gaining access to appropriate support. This paper reports on an exploratory study of university students with mental health difficulties that found most students did not disclose their mental health problems to staff at university. This was primarily due to fear of discrimination during their studies and in professional employment. Many students went to considerable efforts to hide their mental health condition and in doing so struggled to meet university requirements. Of the minority who did disclose, most received helpful assistance with both their studies and management of their mental health condition. The university was the main source of support services including counselling, disability, student union and housing. A range of measures are required to address the impact of stigma and mental health to empower students so that they can disclose in the confidence that they will be treated fairly.     

地方院校大学生心理健康状况调查分析

为了解湖南科技学院大学生心理健康状况,为心理健康教育工作提供依据,我们采用大学生人格问卷(University Personality Inventory,UPI)对我校全日制本科生进行了抽样调查。有严重心理问题的学生占16.37%;有某种心理问题需要引起关注的学生占27.76%;心理健康者占55.87%。男女学生心理健康水平差异有统计学意义(X2=7.058,P=0.029);城乡学生UPI三类筛选率差异无统计学意义(X2=1.669,P=0.434);独生子女和非独生子女学生UPI三类筛选率差异无统计学意义(X2=1.431,P=0.489);二、三年级大学生心理健康水平略低于一、四年级。我校大部分学生心理卫生状况良好,但仍有相当数量学生的心理健康问题不容忽视,特别是二、三年级学生,应重视女生的心理健康教育。     

大学生人际交往团体心理辅导的效果研究

目的:改善大学生的人际交往状况和自尊及心理健康状况。方法:采用团体咨询的训练方法针对大学生存在的心理问题进行人际关系训练,采用社交回避及苦恼量表(SAD)、交往焦虑量表(IAS)、羞怯量表、自尊量表(SES)、症状自评量表(SCL-90)进行评估。结果:入组大学生SAD、IAS、羞怯量表、SES、SCL-90量表的各项得分后测与前测相比发生了显著变化,部分成员在人际交往方面有了明显改进。结论:团体咨询有效改善了大学生的人际交往状况,并一定程度的提高了团体成员的自尊水平和心理健康水平。     

浅论高校辅导员如何开展心理健康教育工作

当代大学生心理健康状况不容乐观,出现了一些新情况、新问题,高校辅导员应改进工作重点和工作方式,提高心理健康意识,加强自身理论修养,突出加强心理健康辅导,培养学生积极良好的心态,多途径地有效开展心理健康教育工作。     

积极心理学与女大学生心理健康教育

在当前构建和谐校园的进程中,着眼于＂积极心理学＂来探讨女大学生心理健康教育的具体问题是一种极有价值的尝试。积极心理学以其积极的理论体系为女大学生心理健康教育工作提供了一种全新的思维方式和认识视野,它提倡对女大学生的心理健康教育由问题导向转向健康关注,注重积极人格特质的培养,强调积极的情绪体验,为女大学生构建了积极的心理健康教育系统。     

正向心理学视角下大学生正面情绪培养研究

在培养当代大学生全面发展的过程中,心理素质要求越显重要,情绪管理在心理健康中的作用不可或缺。传统心理学主要在大学生心理、情绪的问题和病症层面发挥作用,而正向心理学视角下的大学生正面情绪培养,能积极地帮助大学生正面获取生活的快乐感和满足感,预防和矫正情绪问题。通过研究与介绍大学生自身正面情绪培养的素质和技巧,以及高校和家庭在营造大学生正面情绪方面的策略,旨在提高大学生情绪健康总体水平。     

高校大学生就业心理困扰的个案研究与对策

大学生就业问题一直备受社会关注,而由各种心理问题所带来的就业困扰已成为目前高校心理健康教育的重要内容．本文从实际案例出发,运用心理辅导理论技术,对大学生的就业困扰心理进行辅导和分析,探讨解决高校大学生心理困扰的途径和方法．     

提高高校心理咨询针对性的对策研究

高校的心理咨询机构在维护和促进大学生心理健康方面起着重要的作用。提高高校心理咨询针对性,必须关注由认知层面引起的心理困扰,关注群体的共性与个性的结合,关注不同环境背景与不同成长经历的影响等三方面重要内容。     

浅谈高校特困生心理素质的培养

高校特困生问题是一个长期存在的客观现实,特困生的心理健康状况有其自身的特点,特困生的心理健康教育是高校心理健康教育工作的重要组成部分。所以,对特困生心理健康教育中主要存在的问题进行分析,提出重视和加强特困生心理素质培养的看法非常有必要。     

体育教学中实施心理干预研究

采用问卷法、访谈法、文献资料法对南昌地区五所高校2005级928名新生的心理健康进行了抽样调查,并对部分学生进行了一年多的心理教学法实验研究.结果表明:学生的心理指标发生了明显变化,采用统计软件SPSS进行数据t检验,各个因子之间都存在非常显著性差异(p<0.01).因此,要进一步深化高校体育教育改革,努力提高大学生心理健康水平.     

工科类高职院校大学生期望的心理辅导研究

当前高校中对大学生的心理健康教育已经给予了足够的重视,心理辅导对大学生的健康成长的重要性也得到了教育工作者的共识。通过调查发现,工科类高职院校大学生最希望通过学校心理辅导,达到提升心理素质、适应社会竞争的效果;学生更趋向于选择上心理健康课和咨询室的心理辅导方式;学生期望中理想的心理辅导人员不但要具备扎实的专业技能,更需要有良好的职业道德和亲和力。这对当前工科类高职院校的心理辅导工作提出了新的要求。