Here’s an interview with Gareth Hughes, research lead in student well-being at the University of Derby. Gareth’s worked in this field for two decades and has a lot of wisdom, experience and insight. We discussed how Derby has introduced classes in psycho-education in almost every one of its undergraduate courses – different classes are tailored to the needs of students on different courses (for example, music students get a class in managing performance anxiety).

We discuss a lot more, everything from transition anxiety to the ‘dangerous rise of therapeutic education.’  Here’s the podcast which you can also download on iTunes here

Here’s what we cover and where it’s covered in the podcast:

3 – 10 mins – The psycho-education component in each undergraduate degree at Derby

Different classes in each degree depending on the needs of students. ‘It’s very tailored to their curriculum. And it’s not just about their well-being, it’s about their learning, their lifestyle.’

For example, music students get a class in coping with performance anxiety. Business students get a class on emotional intelligence in the workplace.

‘Classes are embedded in a module. If it’s voluntary, students don’t get why it’s helpful, if it’s part of a module they come along and then get why it’s useful.’

‘We always call it learning and well-being – the two are very much linked.’

‘We’ve made a commitment to [having psycho-education classes] in 100% of Derby degree courses by 2018. And we’re on target for that.’

11 mins – helping students in the first weeks and first year

‘think about the first year as a year’s worth of induction, not just the first weeks’

‘more students have clinical levels of distress than not in the first six weeks of university’ – why the first few weeks is a good time to focus on feeling / belonging rather than learning.

Transition anxiety isn’t just homesickness, because there’s similar levels of distress in students who live at home. It’s the entry into a new environment. We can help students using guided visualization – imagining walking around the campus and feeling you belong.

19 mins – Belonging / socialization: ‘we don’t know how students socialize, we just as hope it’s happening. It’s a magical thing we’re leaving up to the student union and fate. We have no idea why some students find their social group and others don’t.’

If you perceive yourself as lonely, your immune and cognitive levels drop

If students had been to a university open day before arriving, they generally had lower levels of distress

20.30 mins – what should university well-being teams measure?

‘measurement is important but it’s dangerous to look only at that…we need a more complex way of looking at what’s going on’

The priority given to RCTs is a problem. RCTs way you stop imposters getting in the door with dangerous things. CBT in RCTs and CBT in real world – the outcomes are very different.

Measurements don’t get used as scientific tools, get used as management tools

What can you realistically do with each intervention that you’re measuring. Does one class on psycho-education have a major effect? Of course not. But whenever we go and deliver programmes, students are more likely to access service afterwards

Our classes also alter what academics do – they bridge counselling and academic teaching

It’s about bridging learning and well-being . ‘While counselling is vitally important, and a lot of universities have cut back on counselling, it’s not the only thing, it’s not the only response.’

26 mins – Are universities more concerned with wellbeing now? ‘Yes, and they have more reason to be, something has gone wrong with young people’.

‘If we map the number of students who we see who need long-term ongoing support, it’s not a curb, it’s a straight line going up, year on year.’

Why? It’s not one thing. It’s a complex cultural phenomenon.

First, there’s been a change in parenting – the idea that the job of the parent is to stop your child ever being distressed has caused problems

eg two children fall out in school, and parents ring up to fix it. Children aren’t left to figure it out themselves

Second, there’s been a change in school culture – very exam driven. Teachers on performance-related pay. It’s no longer about learning or character development, it’s about passing exams. Huge rise in perfectionism among young women.

There’s a cultural narrative about going to university to get a good job immediately afterwards, which is a lie

That’s not what it does – equip you with skills to have a satisfying long-term career, but it’s not a job-training scheme.

The whole narrative that ‘its to get a job to get you on job ladder’ is by people who don’t understand the job ladder doesn’t exist any more

30 mins – do fees increase students’ anxiety?

31 mins – Is therapeutic education making young people more vulnerable?

Kathryn Ecclestone’s book, The Dangerous Rise of Therapeutic Education, is a conspiracy theory rather than a scientific theory, it’s cherry-picking the evidence. Are you saying all the rise in student mental illness is entirely down to wellbeing classes? Look at how many schools run these classes – it’s not that many.

Exam culture in schools is much more pervasive than well-being culture. But where the well-being culture may have a big influence is over-anxious parenting – childhood is meant to be a preparation for adulthood, not some perfect stress-free time.

33.5 mins – Anxiety is the thing that’s most prevalent in students. Far more than anything else.

36 – counselling – what works? students need active, quick therapy. what we need to do is do all different modules.

need to know about students’ subjects and academic performance – it’s a huge part of their life.

needs to put them back in control – takes active shift, chunk of education, bit of movement

38.5 mins – peer to peer support groups work well when well funded, supervised and supported, but if not, can be disastrous

39.5 mins – courses and workshops work if in language of students. has to be relevant to their world not ours. and they have to perceive it as useful very early in the session. otherwise you’re talking over their heads.

40 mins – wellbeing is holistic – learning, meaning, physical health, psychological health – all part of same thing. learning spaces – do they have sunlight and windows. what student accomodation like. can they sleep properly? We have a sleeplessness epidemic among students.

well-being and learning – they’re connected

41 mins – How do you get people onboard with a university well-being programme?

The VC is the person who can think about it holistically

We’ve earned our mileage – we bootcamped ourselves to understand learning more, so we can speak in academics’ language, not ours.otherwise we’re perceived as the bit of university that wants to make degrees easy

no substitute for going from team to team having conversations

44.5 – Staff wellbeing – if a lecturer is mentally unwell, that will influence students

The role of the academic has changed very quickly, and many not sure what their role is

46.50 mins – What should universities be doing than they’re not? Thinking about it differently. We hear a lot about ad hoc initiatives, but little about the philosophy and strategy that underlines them.

There’s an empty theoretical space sitting here. Derby – we defined what our philosophy was and key principles by which we act and behave. We’re not a reactive closed-door service. active and collaborative.

wave 1 – workshops for all students.
wave 2 – work vulnerable students
wave 3 – work with students at risk

It’s a research – teaching – practice model

49 mins – the importance of classical Indian and Greek philosophy to psychology and wellbeing initiatives. Psychology is more based on philosophy than it likes to admit.

50 mins – US versus UK universities – American unis more in loco parentis

UK unis moving to US model – in US you’re a minor until 21 in most states. you get curfew times in halls of residence. you get male and female halls of residence. which our students wouldnt tolerate.

another thing is we’re not here to plug a gap in students for three years then turn them out at other end.

we want students able to manage their own needs.

you hear a lot of learner development and personal development theory. but i do think that in loco parentis thing makes them carry students more

52 mins – we have an opportunity to change the world here.