Open Forum will be holding a follow-up event to our Improving Student Mental Health Outcomes conference, with a focus on topics raised in feedback from delegates that attended the previous event.
May's event facilitated a wide discussion on institutional cultures and practical, strategic approaches towards safeguarding students, including; the importance of preventative care earlier in life to develop resilience in children and young people before they reach FE/HE, assessing pitfalls in the transition from living at home to living at university, addressing student suicide rates and integrating the science of compassion into HE curriculums.
This conference will expand the conversation to include dedicated keynotes and panel discussions covering:
Do you ever wonder why so many teenagers and young people are struggling with mental health issues? Would you like to know how every one of us can better support young people’s wellbeing? At a time of rising psychological distress in young adults, university GP and leading UK student mental health expert, Dr Dominique Thompson shares her experience of caring for thousands of students over 20 years, and challenges us all to help the next generation feel well, live happily and achieve their potential.
Dominique offers a fresh perspective and thought provoking insights for university staff, parents, teachers, and for young people themselves, on the impact of 21st century culture changes on the younger generation, throughout the world.
Annabelle, a Film & English Studies student at the University of Bristol will draw on her own experiences and those of her peers to outline how information given to students in secondary school and further education creates misconceptions of university - creating immense pressures before they have even set foot on campus. Annabelle's presentation will cover some of the following issues through the prism of how they have impacted students at her university:
Megan’s presentation will offer refreshing insight into the benefits of utilising peer support as a means to tackle the growing demand for improving student wellbeing.
The transition into higher education is a significant milestone that presents new challenges and emotional pressures and with the stigma lifting and society as a whole being more aware of positive mental health and wellbeing, it’s important for Universities to reflect the same mindset.
Student lives are fast paced and under high pressure, cluttered by online networking where they feel the need to be plugged into social media 24/7 and have an underlying fear of missing out. High profile campaigns effectively raise awareness however, health services and University support channels are overloaded and cannot cater for the growing demand. The presentation will delve into the benefits of delivering a practical, preventative solution that alleviates and complements existing University support services, providing a scalable student enrichment opportunity. Megan will also explore a framework for improving self-awareness, emotional resilience and personal growth through real human interaction; an early intervention to ensure students can thrive and succeed in higher education.
To learn more, visit https://www.hashtagme.world/
An estimated 1.25 million people in the UK have an eating disorder, serious mental illnesses that are often poorly understood. They are not ‘diets gone wrong’, narcissistic, fads or phases, but illnesses that cause devastating consequences for those suffering and the people that care for them.
Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, and when eating disorders are not fatal, damage to organ systems, fertility issues, a higher risk of heart problems, type 2 diabetes and loss of bone density are just some of the severe long-term physical health consequences sufferers can be left with. Despite the severity of these illnesses, those in need of treatment often don’t find it quickly enough, resulting in an average cycle of relapse and recovery lasting six years, causing unnecessary financial cost and emotional distress to sufferers and their families and placing avoidable additional cost on the public purse.
University is an exciting time but can also be a time of significant change and pressure. Students who are vulnerable can develop an eating disorder; students who already have one may find it gets worse. The university environment can mask symptoms and make it harder for students to stay connected to treatment services and their support network.
The presentation will highlight some of the difficulties students face when seeking support and treatment for an eating disorder at University, hear from a Beat Ambassador on dealing with the illness whilst studying and what role staff and students can play in ensuring someone receives treatment as soon as possible.
Lee is an Inspector with Hampshire Constabulary with 30 years of operational experience, including responding to critical incidents, youth offending and police custody management. He has broad experience of responding to people suffering with mental health conditions who are at a point of crisis in their life.
Lee’s family has been personally affected by the devastating effect of suicide, when in September 2018 his eldest son, Daniel ended his own life just after starting University.
“Daniel’s death was an immense shock and tragedy that has forever changed us as a family. The trauma of suicide is life changing and will never really leave us but we hope that by contributing to the debate and working with Universities more can be done to identify, support and respond to students with Mental Health problems and provide a better response during crisis points for students in the future”
Dr. Theo Gilbert and Andrew Marunchak, both based at the University of Hertfordshire, will present on further progress that has been made towards training students and staff in the micro skills of compassion via a multi user virtual reality simulation since the first Improving Student Mental Health Outcomes conference in May,
This training is based on fast emerging scholarship on compassion - from neuroscience, clinical psychology and anthropology - that demonstrates how compassion (noticing the distress or disadvantaging of oneself or others, and acting to reduce or prevent that) is an entirely practical motivation (not an emotion) and that it enhances interpersonal dynamics and quality of subject-related decision-making and critical thinking in task-focused groups.
The micro skills of compassion are therefore now credit bearing on some degree programmes in HE, and this is expected to develop quickly in the next ten years as the underpinning science continues to grow. Indeed, findings in this area have increased demand amongst universities for training in these skills and this has given rise to the impetus for such training to be delivered through VR. The presentation will include clips of video footage from within the simulation to demonstrate the experience and advocacy of this learning experience to audiences.
Ben Channon's recently published book 'Happy by Design: A Guide to Architecture and Mental Wellbeing' asks; can good design truly make us happier? Ben argues that given we spend over 80% of our time in buildings, shouldn't we have a better understanding of how they make us feel?
In his presentation, Ben will explore how the built environment of FE/HE facilities, estates and halls of residence impact student mental health - how can the architectural design of HE facilities and estates make students and faculty happy whilst supporting mental health?
The premise of response-ability comes from Greek philosopher Epictetus' understanding that 'People are disturbed not by things but by the view they take of them.'
Hence, the key to psychological health is not to avoid challenging situations; but rather to choose an effective attitude towards them. This insight is the basis of the A-B-C Model of Emotional Health:
A = the ‘Activating Event’ eg. being dropped by a university sports team;
B = the ‘Belief’ ie. the attitude the person takes towards this event – what they ‘tell themselves’ about it; and
C = the ‘Consequence’ eg. anger, despair, giving-up – or a determination to train harder and earn re-selection.
Clearly, the ‘Consequence’ is determined not by the Activating Event itself, but rather by the ‘Beliefs’ and self-talk that the person subsequently engages in at point ‘B’.
For example, if the student activates Beliefs along the lines of: ‘This is so unfair! I absolutely must be picked for the first team! It’s awful that I haven’t been – and I never want to play again!’ they will generate a great deal of upset. Equally, if, instead, they activate Beliefs along the lines of: ‘It’s disappointing not to have been chosen for the first team; but other players deserve a chance to play too - and I if I train extra hard, I might be selected for the next match’, they will generate positive feelings of motivation instead.
John will talk about how to foster ‘response-ability’ in young people and help universities to develop and become ‘Response-ability Champions’.
Turning Point is a national social enterprise providing health and social care services at 350 locations across England supporting people to improve their health and wellbeing building on our expertise in substance misuse, mental health, sexual health and healthy lifestyles. Turning Point services are developed on the principles of the 5 ways to wellbeing, embedding approaches to keep people well
and include: information, advice and treatment for drug and alcohol problems and sexual health issues; talking therapies for people experiencing anxiety and depression; evidence based on-line support on a range of topics; 24-hour crisis lines and places to stay for a short period during a period of severe crisis.
Cllr Martin Judd, Deputy Portfolio Holder for Economy and Enterprise, Oldham Council and University Student
Alongside his remit as Head of Counselling at the University of Oxford, Alan Percy is Chair of both the Executive Committee for the Heads of University Counselling Services and the Mental Wellbeing in Higher Education Working Group. Alan is a well-published writer across topics pertinent to supporting student mental health, such as; the impact of outsourcing services, counteracting perfectionism, supporting students during exam periods and the different MH challenges faced by undergraduate/postgraduate students.
Professor Richard Hall, in collaboration with Professor Kate Bowles at Australia's Wollongong University, authored the article 'Re-engineering Higher Education: The Subsumption of Academic Labour and the Exploitation of Anxiety' for the Workplace journal. The essay analyses the political economy of higher education, in terms of Marx and Engels’ conception of subsumption. It addresses the twin processes of formal and real subsumption, in terms of the re-engineering of the governance of higher education and the re-production of academic labour in the name of value.
In his presentation, Professor Hall will elaborate on how neoliberal marketisation of HE are driving universities to becoming anxiety machines.
Noel’s presentation will explore relational systems and groups and the impact this has on mental illness or wellness.
He will look at the individual as a social animal and explore definitions of health and ill health from this perspective - not the now traditional ‘health’ model; which sees these things situated in the individual only. One of the unhealthiest states to be in is in fact an isolated individual. Typically serious social isolation will lead to a reduction in life expectancy, increase in mental illness, physical illness, anti-social behaviours. Living an emotionally connected social life is the treatment to these illnesses.
The presentation will explore how non specialist mental health professionals and also mental health professionals can utilise social health and healthy systems to treat mental illness. It will explore it in the context of the radical changes in mental health care in the UK since the introduction of care In the community in the 1980’s.
The UK now delivers mental health through community not institution, and what does that mean for the education community, as need seems to be increasing - how do we support that need and avoid splitting off the people who we label as the 'patient'. The presentation will look at this within the framework of inclusion and human rights.
Construction of The Bridgewater Hall commenced on 22 March 1993, but the idea of a new concert hall for Manchester dates back to the reconstruction of the Free Trade Hall in the 1950s after wartime bomb damage. The Free Trade Hall was home to the city’s famous Hallé orchestra and also hosted rock and pop concerts. However, despite holding great public affection, the 1850s Free Trade Hall was ill-equipped to respond to the rising standards of service and acoustic excellence demanded by performers and audiences.
