Independent Activity: Reflective Journaling
Objective: To understand and reflect on personal experiences related to mental health in a higher education environment.
Learning objectives:
-
Understand the Concept of Mental Health
-
Identify Common Mental Health Challenges
-
Recognise the Role of Mental Health Advisors and Mentors
0
Minutes
Time for completion
Who is this course for?
“Mental health is not a destination, but a process. It’s about how you drive, not where you’re going.
Definition of Mental Health:
-
Mental health refers to our emotional, psychological, and social well-being.
-
It affects how we think, feel, and act on daily life.
Importance for Students and Educators
For Students:
- Good mental health enhances learning, coping skills, and overall quality of life.
- It promotes resilience during academic challenges.
For Educators:
- Understanding mental health helps educators support students effectively.
- It contributes to a positive learning environment.
Common Mental Health Challenges in HEIs
Impact on Academic Performance and Well-Being: Absenteeism, reduced productivity, and strained relationships.
Role of Mental Health Advisors and Mentors
Serving as a bridge between students and the mental health resources available, guiding students towards the help they need.
Key Responsibilities
- Assessing mental health needs of students.
- Supporting students dealing with mental health issues.
- Advocating for students’ mental health needs within the institution.
- Educating students about coping strategies, and available resources.
- Implementing preventive measures to help students maintain their mental health.
- Acting promptly and effectively during mental health crises.
- Ensuring all matters related to students’ mental health are handled with utmost confidentiality.
Reflection
Reflect on your current understanding of mental health. How does this understanding shape your approach to supporting students in Higher Education Institutions?
As HEI professionals, what proactive steps can you take to raise awareness about mental health? How can you ensure that these steps are effective and respectful of the diverse experiences of students?
Mentoring Model – RAMHHE Research Activity Model
Developed by Josephine NwaAmaka Bardi, a mental health nurse. Utilises qualitative methods (interviews, focus groups) to explore students’ understanding of mental health.
Step 1: Initiate the Dialogue
As an educator, you can start by creating a safe and non-judgmental space for students to discuss mental health. This could be implemented through a workshop or a seminar where students are encouraged to share their thoughts and experiences.
Step 2: Use the Four Key Questions
Introduce the four key questions of the RAMHHE Model
- What is mental health?
- Who would you speak to about your mental health?
- How is mental health viewed in your community?
- How can we support students’ mental health?
Step 3: Facilitate the Discussion
Facilitate the discussion around these questions. Encourage students to share their perspectives and listen attentively to their responses. This will help you understand their views on mental health, their preferred support systems, the cultural nuances, and their suggestions for improving mental health support in the institution.
Step 4: Collaborative Problem-Solving
Based on the students’ responses, engage them in a problem-solving exercise on how to improve mental health awareness and support in the institution. This could involve brainstorming sessions, role-plays, or group discussions.
Step 5: Implement the Suggestions
Finally, work with the institution’s administration to implement the students’ suggestions. This could involve setting up new support systems, organising regular mental health awareness workshops, or creating a more inclusive and understanding campus culture.
Benefits of RAMHHE Research Activity Model
- Enables collaborative dialogue about mental health between students and educators
- Provides an understanding of the student’s definition of mental health
- Supports a range of referral pathways for students.
- Encourages an all-university dialogue on how to support students with mental health conditions
Practical Advice for using RAMHHE (Tips and Hints)
- Ensure a non-hierarchical and collaborative dialogue between students and staff
- Use a problem-based learning approach
- Be sensitive to diverse cultural and religious backgrounds
- Develop student-informed mental health interventions
Real-life Scenario
Title: Scenario 1 – Identifying Signs of Distress
Case: Iris is a university student. She has been frequently missing classes, and appears dishevelled, and stressed. She has become less responsive in class discussions.
For the Student: What signs of distress are evident in Iris’s behaviour? How might these signs impact Iris’s academic performance and overall well-being? What steps would you take as a fellow student concerned about Iris?
For the HEI staff: What strategies would you employ to address Iris’s situation? How would you approach a conversation with Iris about your observations and concerns? What institutional resources could be leveraged to support Iris in this situation?
What can a fellow student do?
Be Observant: Notice changes in your peers’ behaviour or appearance. If you notice Iris has started to miss classes or she appears dishevelled, these could be signs of distress.
Communicate: If you feel comfortable, talk to Iris. Ask if she’s okay or if there’s anything you can do to help.
Refer to Support Services: Encourage Iris to seek help from campus resources like counselling services. You can also report your concerns to these services if you believe Iris is in distress.
Maintain Confidentiality: Respect Iris’s privacy and don’t share her personal issues without her consent.
What can an Educator do?
Monitor Student Behaviour:
As an educator, you’re in a unique position to observe students’ behaviour. If a student starts missing classes or participating less, these could be signs of distress.
Reach Out:
If you’re concerned about a student, reach out to them privately. Ask if they’re okay and express your concern.
Refer to Support Services:
Encourage the student to seek help from campus resources like counselling services. You can also report your concerns to these services.
Provide Accommodations:
If a student is dealing with mental health issues, consider providing accommodations such as extended deadlines or alternative assignments, as appropriate.
Maintain Confidentiality:
Respect the student’s privacy and don’t share their personal issues without their consent.
Real-life Scenario - 2
Title: Scenario 2 – Coping with Academic Pressure
Case: A student named Anna is always seen studying late into the night in the library, she seems to be constantly worried about grades, and she has stopped attending social events.
For the Student: If you were Anna`s friend, what steps can you take to help her manage her academic pressure and encourage her to participate in social events again?
For the HEI staff: As an educator, what steps can you take to alleviate the academic pressure felt by students like Anna and encourage a healthy balance between academic responsibilities and social life?
What can a student do?
Be Supportive: If you notice that Anna is under constant academic pressure, offer your support. Let her know it’s okay to take breaks and that grades aren’t everything.
Encourage Balance: Encourage Anna to balance her academic life with social activities and relaxation. This can help reduce stress.
Refer to Support Services: Encourage Anna to seek help from campus resources like counselling services or academic advisors. They can provide strategies to manage academic pressure.
Maintain Confidentiality: Respect Anna’s privacy and don’t share her personal issues without her consent.
What can an Educator do?
Promote a Healthy Learning Environment:
Encourage students to learn at their own pace and emphasise that it’s okay to ask for help.
Provide Resources:
Share resources for stress management and study strategies. This can help students like Anna cope with academic pressure.
Refer to Support Services:
If you notice a student struggling, encourage them to seek help from campus resources like counselling services or academic advisors.
Maintain Confidentiality:
Respect the student’s privacy and don’t share their personal issues without their consent.
Real-life Scenario - 3
Title: Scenario 3 – Dealing with Isolation
Case: Tinashe is an international student who has recently moved to a different country. She often eats alone, doesn’t participate in group activities, and seems to have difficulty making friends.
For the Student: What strategies could you suggest to Tinashe to help her overcome her feelings of isolation and engage more with the campus community?
For the HEI staff: As an educator, what initiatives could you implement to help international students like Tinashe feel more included and less isolated in the campus community?
What can a student do?
Be Inclusive: If you notice that Tinashe is often alone, invite her to join you and your friends for meals or group activities.
Communicate: Reach out to Tinashe, show interest in her culture and make her feel welcome.
Refer to Support Services: Encourage Tinashe to join clubs or societies to meet people with similar interests. Also, suggest that she could seek help from campus resources like international student services or counselling services.
Maintain Confidentiality: Respect Tinashe’s privacy and don’t share her personal issues without her consent.
What can the educators do?
Promote Inclusivity:
Encourage class participation and group activities to help students like Tinashe interact with others.
Reach Out:
If you notice that a student is struggling, reach out to them privately. Ask if they’re okay and express your concern.
Refer to Support Services:
Encourage the student to seek help from campus resources like international student services or counselling services.
Maintain Confidentiality:
Respect the student’s privacy and don’t share their personal issues without their consent.
Call to Action
Instructions:
- Write a journal entry about a time when you noticed signs of distress in yourself or others.
- Reflect on how you responded to the situation and what you learned from it.
- Consider how you could apply the strategies and advice from this module in similar future situations.
Role-Playing
Objective: To practice identifying signs of distress and responding appropriately in a supportive and respectful manner.
Instructions:
- Form small groups and create a scenario based on the examples provided in the module (like Iris’s or Anna’s case).
- Assign roles to each group member (e.g., the person showing signs of distress, a concerned friend, an educator, etc.).
- Act out the scenario, then discuss as a group how well you applied the strategies and advice from the module.
- Each group can present their role-play scenario and the class can provide constructive feedback.
Additional and Further Information
Title: Supporting Mental Health within Institutions of Higher Education”
Why its recommended: Provides guidance for HEIs to enhance student well-being through targeted initiative
Title: Providing Support in Higher Ed during Mental Health Awareness Month
Link: https://blog.cengage.com/mental-health-awareness-month-providing-support-in-higher-ed/
Why its recommended: Provides insights, stats, and strategies for mental health in higher education.
Title: Why it’s important to talk about Mental Health
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy1iH_Gxn0Q
Why its recommended: Helps individuals to understand the impact that stigma has on their mental health and encourage them to create supportive environments for students.
References
Baik, C., Larcombe, W. and Brooker, A., 2019. How universities can enhance student mental wellbeing: The student perspective. Higher Education Research & Development, 38(4), pp.674-687.
Browne, V., Munro, J. and Cass, J., 2017. The mental health of Australian university students. JANZSSA: Journal of the Australian and New Zealand Student Services Association, 25(2), pp.51-62.
Bryant, A., Cook, A., Egan, H., Wood, J. and Mantzios, M., 2022. Help-seeking behaviours for mental health in higher education. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 46(4), pp.522-534.
Scherer, L.A. and Leshner, A.I. eds., 2021. Mental health, substance use, and wellbeing in higher education: Supporting the whole student. National Academies Press.
Spear, S., Morey, Y. and van Steen, T., 2021. Academics’ perceptions and experiences of working with students with mental health problems: Insights from across the UK higher education sector. Higher Education Research & Development, 40(5), pp.1117-1130.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them. Project Number – 2022-1-PL01-KA220-HED-00008.
English 
Spanish 
Polish 
Greek