Conversations about how to help students struggling with their mental health have increased after the pandemic brought the issue into stark relief. People who were young adolescents in 2020 are now entering university classrooms, and if you’ve noticed that their needs are dramatically different, that’s because they are.
I’m an adviser with my university’s student well-being service. I have been working exclusively with students with a wide range of mental health issues for several years. I provide well-being support to students, speak to staff from other academic and professional services to help provide holistic support, and do proactive outreach work to encourage students to open up about their mental health struggles. I’ve been lucky to work with many academics who are eager to help but are not sure how to go about doing it. If that sounds like you, here is my advice.
Stop and think
Write down reflections about why you would like to get involved, expectations for yourself, and what you would hope to achieve by this time next year. I acknowledge that this exercise can feel like a self-assessment for an annual performance review but it is very helpful when you start talking to other professionals later on. The most important aspect to think about is how you would like to get involved, while taking your other work obligations into account. You could focus on building your confidence, learning how to spot students struggling with their mental health in your lectures, raising awareness, or getting involved with your local young people’s charity, to name a few.
Familiarise yourself with institutional policies
Take time to read your institution’s public policy documents to learn its stance on supporting students with poor mental health, along with recommended actions and information on duty of care. At my university, we have a practical guide to help us in our work.
Get your manager on board
Make your line manager aware of your wishes and ask for support. They might be able to help you further refine how you would like to structure your involvement and point you towards further resources. I would recommend asking whether your department has a designated point of contact for student mental health, such as a safeguarding professional or pastoral lead.
Seek training
You can also ask your line manager if they can recommend any in-house training for supporting students with poor mental health. If you are looking for more extensive training, there are several organisations that provide mental health first aid courses. I would not recommend trying to learn by researching alone because speaking with a facilitator can be more helpful. Theory does not always translate neatly into practice when you are faced with a distressed student in your office.
Reach out to well-being staff
Once you’ve completed the above steps, it is time to reach out to your institution’s student mental health services with your ideas. The goal is to start a conversation with them, not to sell them on your vision for what you want to do. Student mental health services usually have defined remits of what they can and cannot do. They also tend to be busy with direct support to students so some patience is key here. As I’m sure you’re aware, initiatives do tend to move slower than we would like in higher education. It might take a long email thread before you get to the right person.
Stay connected
I have established unexpected friendships with staff members from different departments throughout my time working in student mental health support. If there aren’t any initiatives that appeal to you now, maintaining your contacts is helpful in case anything comes up in the future. A casual group chat can go a long way.
Prioritise self-care
Unfortunately, this phrase gets bandied around by beauty companies to sell products. But at its core, self-care involves practices you implement to relieve stress and boost your well-being. This is especially important when you dive into the mental health field, where burnout is rife. Learning of the suffering of those who never asked for their minds to malfunction is not easy. Please take care of yourself.
This guide is meant to serve as inspiration for you to structure your thoughts and actions. It should not take precedence over your institution’s policies and ways of working. It’s not an exhaustive list either. The opinions and recommendations come from my experience and are not meant to reflect my university’s student well-being service’s official policies. Please use your judgement if you wish to implement this advice.
Tessa Warinner is a well-being adviser at the University of Edinburgh.
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