Mental Well-being in the Curriculum
Dr Margaret Sills
29th April 2008Wolverhampton
With acknowledgment to Hilary Burgess and Jill Anderson
mhhe (mental health in higher education)
http://www.mhhe.heacademy.ac.uk/
Collaboration between
4 Higher Education Academy Subject Centres
Health Sciences and Practice
Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine (MEDEV)
Psychology
Social Policy and Social Work (SWAP)
Terminology
Mental Health
Mental Well-being
Mental Health distress / difficulties / problems
Mental Illness
Relationship between mental well-being and mental ill-health
WELL BEING High
A person who experiences a high level A person who has a high level ofof mental well-being despite being mental well-being and health who
has diagnosed as mentally ill e.g. having no mental illnessmanic depressive episodes
ILL-HEALTH High LowA person with a mental disorder, A person who has no diagnosableprobably enduring and/or with psychotic mental illness or disorder and who
episodes and a low level of mental has a low level of mental well-being well-being e.g. self-esteem represented by a low level of self care.
Low
10 Elements of Mental HealthGlenn MacDonald and Kate O’Hara
http://www.hcc.uce.ac.uk/Schools/healthdev/docs/ten%20element%20map.doc
Macro
Meso
Micro
EmotionalProcessing Self
ManagementSkills
SocialParticipation
EnvironmentalDeprivation
EmotionalAbuseEmotional
Negligence
Stress
SocialAlienation
EnvironmentalQuality
SelfEsteem
A Map ofElements of
Mental Health,its Promotion
and Demotion.
Vulnerability in student population
18 – 25 yr old age group
Mature students
General risk in terms of mental distress and ill health
May bring previous experience of mental distress
Major life transitions bring stresses
Vulnerability in student population
Anxiety levels may rise as academic, social and or financial hurdles are encountered
Social anxiety
Fear of situations requiring public speaking
Stress of the transition
Widening Participation
Whist enabling access to Higher Education for all those who will benefit from it is welcomed
More entrants
may have greater struggles
in terms of their personal histories
Higher Education entails being challenged
Intellectual Challenges:
Learning new concepts
new knowledge
new skills
And may be new values
Social challenges
Moving to a new town or City
Away from home
Making new friendships
Financial Challenges
Better or worse?
Constructive stress
Destructive stress
Individual differences
Organisational and Individual responsibilities
to create conditions conducive to learning
Implications for Curricula
Students will not perform at their best
if they are unduly stressed or anxious.
So
to promote mental well-being,
protect those who may be vulnerable to mental illness or distress
and of course to enhance learning
curricula have to take account of mental well-being
Curriculum planning
Content
Management
Rooms
Staff availability
Finance
The student centred perspective is often last!
Student experience?
Factors relate to
Retention
Decision to withdraw
A good learning experience
Manz Yorke and Bernard Longden
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ourwork/research/surveys/fye
Enhancing the student experience
1. Avoid undue destructive stress in the design of the curriculum
2. Provide plenty of information in different formats
3. Provide opportunities to rehearse assessed work before it is formally assessed
4. Build small group work in from the beginning
5. Ensure that the programme has a human face
6. Arrange staff training in mental health awareness and mental health promotion
Avoid undue destructive stress in the design of the curriculum
Are the learning opportunities balanced through the day and across the week?
Are the assignments spaced or are they bunched at the end of semesters?
Is timely feedback given about progress, especially in the first term?
Provide plenty of information in different formats
Information available before the course/programme starts: Handbook, On-line
Face 2 face so an opportunity to ask questions
Induction week overload so don’t assume read and understood
How the curriculum works
What the expectations are – particularly re the assessment methods, criteria, feedback
Information about ‘out-of-routine learning opportunities (e.g. Practical work, field visits, practice / clinical learning)
Provide opportunities to rehearse assessed work
Assessment is likely to cause the greatest destructive stress
Helpful to practice different ways of demonstrating knowledge and skills before formal assessment (particularly public forms of assessment such as presentations and role-play)
Build confidence and skills
Internalise the criteria for assessment
Build small group work in from the beginning
Need skilled facilitators to enable students to develop confidence in speaking and learning together
Learn and build social networks
Maximise opportunities in large groups too
Ensure programme has a human face
Tutorials are central
Build expertise so students have early link with someone who knows them, who can help build confidence and
provide appropriate support
A trusting relationship needed for disclosure of previous or current mental health problems
Access to appropriate help / support services
Arrange staff training
Mental health awareness and mental health promotion
Mental Health Adviser
or
Disability adviser with specific brief for mental health
or student health or counselling services
A reminder
Learning and Teaching that respects the mental health and well-being of students is good practice for everyone
Don’t forget the staff!
UUK / Guild HE Committee for the promotion of mental well-being
Members from:
Higher Education Academy (Margaret Sills, previously Hilary Burgess)
Ass. For University and College Counselling (AUCC)
Ass of Managers of student services in HE (AMOSSHE)
British Association for Health Services in HE (BASHE)
UUK and Guild HE
Heads of University Counselling Services (HUCS)
Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP)
National Union of Students (NUS)
University Mental Health Advisers Network (UMHAN)
Contact details:
mhhe (mental health in higher education)http://www.mhhe.heacademy.ac.uk
Health Sciences and Practice Subject Centrehttp://www.health.heacademy.ac.ukEmail: [email protected]
Higher Education Academyhttp://www.heacademy.ac.uk