Supporting Student Mental Health Research Articles

Examining the Benefits of an Educational Blog for Supporting Student Mental Health: A Quasi-Experimental Study

This quasi-experimental study examined the use of a blog as a mental health resource for students. The main objective was to determine if occupational therapy graduate students benefited from using a resource to support their mental health. A purpose-specific survey was used to assess student perceptions. Sixty-five students participated in the survey and 73% of those students reported the blog helped them to manage their mental health. The results indicate that using a blog as a strategy to support student mental health is beneficial. This study is limited by a small homogenous sample; however, serves as a resource for educators.

Prioritizing Mental Well-being in Emerging Educational Models: Strategies for Integrating Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) to Support Student Mental Health

This paper conducts a comprehensive review of the effectiveness of integrating Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) practices into emerging educational models to support student mental well-being, with a particular focus on Canadian contexts. Employing a systematic literature review methodology, the study utilized Google Scholar as the primary database, filtering results based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, emphasizing relevance, quality, and recency. The main findings underscore a research gap between acknowledgment of the importance of SEL, and its implementation in Canadian schools. Strategies for integrating SEL into educational settings are reviewed, highlighting ongoing initiatives of British Columbia aimed at advancing SEL within teacher training programs and educational policies. The study also highlights escalating concerns regarding the mental health of Canadian children and youth, impaired by the COVID-19 pandemic. Implications for educational policy and practice, including promoting systematic assessment of students’ social-emotional skills and ensuring the appropriate developmental delivery of SEL through content, are emphasized as key considerations for educational policymakers and practitioners. The paper concludes that a holistic approach is advocated for fostering Canadian children and youth's social-emotional skills, crucial for their well-being and success in educational settings.

An AI Approach to Support Student Mental Health: Case of Developing an AI-Powered Web-Platform with Nature-Based Mindfulness

ABSTRACT This case project proposes an Artificial Intelligence (AI) approach to support the improvement of student mental health by developing an AI-powered web-platform for practicing nature-based mindfulness. This project addresses the recent trend of utilizing technological devices to assist human mindfulness and mental health. We created an AI-powered website based on the Monitor and Acceptance Theory (MAT), facilitating virtual nature-based mindfulness practice with nature videography and guided meditations. This case study showcases the four major steps of the project development: (1) data collection to build a database of nature videography, (2) data collection to build a database of guided meditations, (3) AI system and model training phase, and (4) personalized mindfulness website pilot study. The proposed AI approach to mindfulness has the potential to benefit and contribute to knowledge creation in the areas of hospitality and tourism education, human mental health, MAT, AI, human-computer interactions, environmental education, and nature tourism.

The Library Cares About Me: Creating Distinct Spaces to Support Student Wellness and Mental Health

The Library Cares About Me: Creating Distinct Spaces to Support Student Wellness and Mental Health

Students Speak Up: How can schools support student mental health?

Educators Rising students share how their schools help address mental health needs and what they could do better.

Strategies for Supporting Engineering Student Mental Health

Strategies for Supporting Engineering Student Mental Health

Creating A Positive Feedback Loop: Supporting Student Mental Health in Ontario’s Christian Schools

This study examined the development of student mental health service provision by independent Christian schools in Ontario, Canada. Key informant interviews led to the development of three major themes—(i) Culture of Caring: A Christian principle in action, (ii) Equifinality: multiple pathways to the same destination, and (iii) Normalizing Counselling: the creation of a positive feedback loop that was divided into five integrated stages. Three counselling models emerged to address students’ psychosocial and emotional challenges. These programs were viewed as an extension of Christian ministry, holistically providing care within the school system not originally structured to meet such needs

Secondary Teachers' Self-Efficacy in Supporting Student Mental Health Needs

Abstract: Mental health issues are a barrier to learning for many secondary students. Students with mental health issues need to be identified, and teachers, who see students daily, are essential in identifying, referring, and supporting students with mental health needs. There is scant literature on secondary teachers' self-efficacy in supporting secondary students' mental health and many teachers lack training and confidence in supporting secondary students' mental health needs. Therefore, this narrative study employs Albert Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory to gain insight as to how secondary teachers perceive their self-efficacy in supporting students' mental health needs. Key findings indicate teachers need more training and role clarification on their role in supporting secondary mental health. While teachers can play an essential role in supporting student mental health, this responsibility conflicts with teachers' perceptions of their role in the classroom, thus it is necessary for districts to provide training to ensure teachers understand their role in supporting student learning.

Childhood Adversity and Mental Health Outcomes Among University Students: A Longitudinal Study.

Mental health concerns are common among university students and maybe elevated among those with specific risk exposures. The study examined the association between childhood adversities and mental health outcomes among undergraduate university students and assessed whether psychosocial and behavioral factors mediate those associations. The Queen's University Student Well-Being and Academic Success Survey identified two large cohorts of first-year undergraduate students entering university in Fall 2018 and 2019 (n = 5,943). At baseline, students reported sociodemographic information, family-related mental health history, childhood physical abuse, sexual abuse, peer bullying, and parental separation or divorce. Baseline and follow-up surveys in Spring 2019, Fall 2019, and Spring 2020 included validated measures of anxiety (7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder) and depressive symptoms (9-item Patient Health Questionnaire ), non-suicidal self-harm, and suicidality, along with psychological processes and lifestyle variables. Repeated measures logistic regression using Generalized Estimating Equations was used to characterize the associations between childhood adversities and mental health outcomes and examine potential mediation. Adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, familial mental illness, and parental education, any childhood abuse (odds ratio: 2.89; 95% confidence interval, 2.58 to 3.23) and parental separation or divorce (odds ratio: 1.29; 95% confidence interval, 1.12 to 1.50) were significantly associated with a composite indicator of mental health outcomes (either 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire score ≥10 or 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorderscore ≥10 or suicidality or self-harm). The association with childhood abuse weakened when adjusted for perceived stress, self-esteem, and insomnia (odds ratio: 2.05; 95% confidence interval, 1.80 to 2.34), and that with parental divorce weakened when adjusted for self-esteem (odds ratio: 1.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.00 to 1.36). Childhood abuse and parental separation or divorce were associated with mental health concerns among university students. Childhood adversities may impact later mental health through an association with stress sensitivity, self-esteem, and sleep problems. The findings suggest that prevention and early intervention focusing on improving sleep, self-esteem, and coping with stress while considering the individual risk profile of help-seeking students may help support student mental health.

Our Professional and Ethical Responsibilities to Support Student Mental Health

In this series, we highlighted the importance of addressing the mental health needs of students with disabilities. The purpose of this final article in the series is to briefly summarize each article’s recommendations for addressing children’s mental health needs and to provide a compelling rationale for adopting those recommended practices. The rationale is introduced through a series of “why” questions, and those questions are then answered in sections addressing professional ethics and advocacy ethics. By focusing on practices, policies, and professional standards related to mental health among students with disabilities, school professionals adopt vital roles, responsibilities, and opportunities to assure access to school-based metal health supports.

A Novel Approach to Supporting Student Mental Health in the University Classroom with Therapy Dogs

Therapy dogs visit nearly every university campus in Canada to support student mental health, but they rarely, if ever, visit during a class. We introduced therapy dogs to an undergraduate Sociology of Addictions course. Our findings offer insight on how therapy dogs can support student mental health in the classroom.

Supporting School Mental Health Providers: Evidence from a Short-Term Telementoring Model.

BackgroundTo support student mental health, school staff must have knowledge of evidence-based practices and the capacity to implement them. One approach used to address this challenge is a group-based telementoring model called Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO). In other applications (e.g., healthcare settings), ECHO has been shown to increase healthcare professionals’ self-efficacy and knowledge of evidence-based practices leading to improved patient outcomes.ObjectivesThis study examined the potential for ECHO to be used as a method for increasing school staff engagement and knowledge of evidence-based school mental health practices.MethodsUsing a quasi-experimental design, this study compared outcomes across two professional development experiences aimed at promoting school staff ability to provide evidence-based mental health services. School staff from four school districts participated in a school mental health training initiative. All participants (N = 57) had access to asynchronous, online mental health modules. A sub-sample (n = 33) was also offered monthly ECHO sessions.ResultsTests of group difference in outcomes revealed significant increases in engagement with online learning (d = 0.58) and satisfaction (d = 0.82) for those who participated in ECHO as compared to those who did not. Knowledge about evidence-based practices was not significantly different between groups.ConclusionsResults suggest that group-based telementoring may be a promising approach for improving engagement and satisfaction with training initiatives aimed at promoting evidence-based school mental health practices. However, further study of ProjectECHO using experimental designs is needed to make causal inferences about its effect on provider outcomes.

Supporting Student Mental Health in an Information Design Class by Employing Approaches Derived from Positive Psychology

Supporting Student Mental Health in an Information Design Class by Employing Approaches Derived from Positive Psychology

School Professional Needs to Support Student Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

School closures due to COVID-19 left students in Michigan without physical access to school mental health professionals (SMHPs) and other supports typically available in schools. This report examines the needs of SMHPs across Michigan during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic and how those needs informed programming and resources provided by a University of Michigan school mental health training and implementation program. In April 2020, a web-based survey asking about student and SMHP mental health was sent to 263 SMHPs who had previously participated in this program. 155 SMHPs (58.9%) responded. Nearly half of SMHPs reported their students’ most pressing needs were support for self-care, anxiety, depression, and traumatic stress. Some SMHPs also met screening criteria themselves for depression and/or anxiety. This survey provided an overview of SMHPs’ concerns early in the COVID-19 pandemic and drove development of new COVID-19-related resources designed to support SMHPs.

A Mental Health Literacy Approach to Supporting First-Generation Community College Student Mental Health: The REDFLAGS Model

Objective: First-generation community college students face unique risks for mental health distress, which can place them at risk for attrition and a myriad of other negative consequences. The aim of the present quantitative investigation was to test the utility of the REDFLAGS model, a mental health literacy based tool for supporting mental wellness, with a national sample of first-generation community college students. Method: Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), logistic regression analysis, and a factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) were computed to test the utility of the REDFLAGS model as a tool for promoting first-generation community college students’ mental health. Results: The CFA demonstrated that the dimensionality of the REDFLAGS model was estimated adequately with first-generation community college students. First-generation community college students’ recognition of the REDFLAGS as warning signs for mental distress emerged as a significant positive predictor of making a peer-to-peer referral to the counseling center. The factorial ANOVA revealed that first-generation community college students who were members of a Greek Organization were more likely to identify the REDFLAGS as warning signs for mental distress. Contributions: Previous investigators established multiple strategies for supporting the mental health needs of either first-generation or community college students. First-generation community college student mental health, however, has received little attention. This study demonstrates the utility of the REDFLAGS model with first-generation community college students. Considering the dearth of literature on first-generation community college student mental health, the REDFLAGS model offers novel implications for promoting the mental health needs of first-generation students enrolled in community colleges.

Supporting Student's Mental Health: A Cross-Sectional Survey for School Nurses.

Children’s and adolescents’ health problems are often related to mental health, and their wellbeing should be supported in schools. This study describes school nurses’ role and how equipped they are in recognizing students’ mental health needs and in supporting students’ mental health. Moreover, we explored the methods used and the barriers that exist for supporting students’ mental health. A national survey for members of the Finnish Public Health Association working as school nurses was conducted (n = 136/648, 21%). The survey questionnaire was analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data using manifest content analysis. Participants (n = 127/133, 96%) agreed that they had an important role in ensuring that students’ mental health needs are met on time. Around one-third reported training needs for mental health interventions (n = 42/115, 36%), and a similar proportion (n = 42/136, 31%) indicated lacking adequate knowledge and skills for supporting mental health among culturally diverse students. Identified barriers for students getting help were a lack of options for sending students to mental health services (n = 92/134, 69%) and a lack of adequate training (n = 81/134, 68%). School nurses are key in providing early mental health support to students. Therefore, the availability of intervention education and training on assessing and supporting students’ mental health is needed and should be improved.

Supporting Medical Student Mental Health during COVID-19: Strategies Implemented for an Accelerated Curriculum Medical Campus.

Medical student education has not been immune to life altering changes of the global Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Pre-pandemic anxiety and mental health concerns were already a significant problem in the world of medical student education. Educators are reformulating strategies to address the increased demand for mental health services and wellness during COVID-19. Adaptations include increased and varied internal and student focused communication, as well as new support structures built around student connection and coaching, mental illness, and general wellness. Additional alterations to student support include expanded mental health counseling and also incorporating novel wellness events in an effort to support thriving during COVID-19.

Managing student mental health: The challenges faced by academics on professional healthcare courses.

To explore how academics on nursing and healthcare programmes are managing their roles and responsibility in relation to student mental health. There is growing concern about the mental health of university students in general and healthcare students in particular. Shifts in Higher Education policy, encouraging a "whole university approach," may place greater responsibility for student mental health on academics. However, little is known about the challenges that poor student mental health creates for academics on healthcare programmes. A qualitative approach, using semi-structured interviews and focus groups, provided the opportunity for in-depth analysis. Fourteen academics on healthcare programmes, including seven lecturers from nursing programmes, were interviewed between May-June 2017. Constant comparison analysis was followed to support grounded theory. Four key themes emerged. Academics had difficulty identifying and maintaining boundaries due to competing academic and professional identities. Student disclosures are accompanied by challenges arising due to professional responsibilities. Supporting student mental health on placement is difficult. Academics are aware and concerned about the potential negative impact of course content and practice on student mental health. This is the first study to explore in-depth the challenges faced by academics on healthcare programmes by the rising prevalence of and concern for, student mental health. The findings indicate that leaders of nursing education programmes and their managers, need to be aware that academics face complex challenges in managing and responding student mental health and may struggle to maintain boundaries due, in part, to competing professional identities.

Considering how tertiary education providers can best support the mental health and wellbeing of their students

The topic of mental health and wellbeing is currently prevalent in society and widely represented in the media. Sometimes anxiety and depression, which are disorders with diagnostic criteria, challenge mental health and wellbeing and pose problems for society. Given this, and the added pressures of tertiary study, it is important to learn more about how to best support student mental health and wellbeing now and in the future. This article reports on a study based in Aotearoa/New Zealand, which focussed on understanding mental health and wellbeing, specifically in the tertiary education sector. The aim of the study was to develop a clear understanding of how tertiary providers can best respond to the mental health and wellbeing of their students. Data were gathered from 115 members of the general population to understand how mental health is perceived, gauge perceptions of future trends and develop a plan to support tertiary communities. Key findings suggest the tertiary environment has a significant impact on student mental health and wellbeing, and some providers may be falling short of meeting shifting needs. In addition, participants predicted that anxiety and depression will continue to impact most students, and in order to respond effectively, tertiary providers need to take a much more co-ordinated approach in order to support their students’ mental health and wellbeing.

Supporting student mental health nurses in clinical placement through virtual in-practice support (VIPS): Innovation uptake and the ‘VIPS’ project

ObjectiveThe integration of technology in nurse education has become an essential element of academic practice. Yet innovation uptake between academic institutions across the four countries of the UK and their clinical practice partners has proved problematic, leading to a slow introduction of digitally enhanced teaching and learning innovations, particularly in the area of clinical decision making and leadership. ParticipantsThe Virtual in Practice Support (VIPS) project involved two academic institutions working with the same mental health care service partner aiming to maximise student clinical placement learning. Student nurses in their final year of training were invited to take part in testing the viability of distance e-tutoring (via computer access to academic nurse lecturers) for facilitated critical reflection. DesignAn evaluation of the use of video linked conference sessions, set up for students to undertake a group based online (i.e. virtual) group tutorial is presented. MethodsAll participants completed an evaluation data sheet using a five point Likert scale and free text evaluation feedback form completed at the end of each online tutorial session. Students were also invited to a focus group and all tutors were interviewed at the completion of the project. ResultsThe VIPS project findings highlight; i) the importance of a clear project vision for innovation uptake ii) consequences of working with innovation champions and iii) how technology can be used to maximise student learning across geographical distance through online facilitated group critical discussion. ConclusionVIPS' participants were able to articulate positive outcomes as a result of engaging in a multi-institutional project that capitalised on the richness of nursing clinical practice learning experience for both the students and the academics involved as innovation champions.