Research hour: Exploring the impact of mental health and wellbeing on students in university
1 in 5 students struggle with their mental health, an issue that undoubtedly affects their studies and day to day life. As each student experiences unique challenges, what can we do to better support them in this important period of their life?
In this webinar, Joe from Present Pal was joined by mental health expert Nicola Eccles to relay their recent research on student mental health. Alongside Dom from Aspire, this webinar offered key insight into student wellbeing and mental health, examining key findings from the past two years and offering improved strategies for support and resources at university.
Our survey featured 52 first-year higher or further education students in the UK with at least one registered disability, asking them questions on their mental wellbeing challenges. The aim of the research was to understand the barriers that these students face in higher education, and determine what support strategies are in place, and most importantly, what can be improved upon.
Managing coursework
Managing coursework with a disability can be a struggle, and so if the appropriate support isn’t in place at the start of the course, this can lead to further mental health challenges for students down the line affecting their grades and their self-esteem. Coupled with being in a new environment means disabled students are in need of individually tailored support to better acclimatise.
“One of the key elements of psychological wellbeing is something called environmental mastery. We cannot undermine the fact that when someone goes into a new environment it has a real impact on your mental health. I think it’s important that we acknowledge the gravity of going to university.”
23% of students said that managing their workload would be their biggest challenge
84% of students said that mental wellbeing impacts their studies
38% of participants noted moderate to severe anxiety based on the GAD7 scale
Anxiety and Covid-19
Covid-19 also has had a detrimental impact on the mental health of young people, with many in lockdown in their teenage years before starting higher education. This has led to reduced confidence when it comes to socialising, and feelings of being overwhelmed. Increased use of social media as a result of lockdown has furthered these challenges and has been proven to have a negative effect on mental wellbeing.
20% of respondents said they struggle to communicate with fellow students
33% of students said their mental wellbeing impacts their social situations
“We know that a lot of young people who have spent a lot of time in lockdown through social media, their ability to to show their vulnerability and communicate is quite challenging and self-acceptance is a big problem.”
Although it can be normal to experience anxiety, it’s only considered a problem when it impinges on day-to-day activities and decision making. And while a student can be competent, it’s their perception of their competence that leads to mental health issues like imposter syndrome.
So how can students better identify where and when they need support?
This model by Carol Reef shows us what psychological wellbeing looks like. If one element of this balance is upset, it can snowball and have a severe impact on our mental health.
52% of students have sought support for their mental wellbeing in the past 12 months
Mental wellbeing support and the DSA
23% of students said their DSA support helped to improve their study skills
40% of students received support for their mental wellbeing through the DSA
A more proactive approach from the DSA for ongoing mental wellbeing issues could help more students manage their workload and day-to-day activities.
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Watch our previous webinar recordings
The Value of Supporting Students with Learning Technology
What types of challenges can students with disabilities face and how can these challenges be supported with modern techniques such as learning technology? In higher education there is an immense pressure on students to learn new skills quickly, engage with content and progress at the same pace as their peer group. In this webinar hosted by Amer Latif (Present Pal), Ciara Montes and Tori Hughes (Georgia Tech Tools for Life) discuss the key skills that students need support with and how students can be supported with learning technology. They also dive into the type of support available with a focus on communication support exploring what is available and how students and educators can get access to support.
The importance of supporting students to learn and improve oral communication skills
In this webinar Lorna Keathley (University of Tennessee, Knoxville, CCI & Communication Studies Lecturer) and Amer Latif (Present Pal) discuss the challenges faced by communications students when tasked with an oral communication task (such as a presentation or speech).
They delve into the issues that students encounter, exploring what strategies and tools can be implemented to support students thrive and develop this skill effectively. They touch on the benefit of using technology to enhance these skill sets to support class learning. They also talk about how to promote long term memory change and recall to boost student’s confidence and overall satisfaction of the delivery of oral communication tasks.
Ignoring communication skills: The impact on students with disabilities. Webinar with Edward Zirkle.
In this webinar, Ed Zirkle and Amer Latif explore the impact of ignoring and avoiding public speaking classes on students with disabilities. They will discuss why this is happening, and how this is happening in universities and colleges. Ed and Amer also dive into the challenges faced by students and faculty and the longer-term impact of neglecting a key life skill. They touch on why it is vital for students to get the support and tools to develop public speaking skills to allow them to thrive, boost confidence, and support challenges related to social anxiety.
Student perceptions: How can we improve support for new and returning students with disabilities?
After a turbulent 18-months, it is not surprising 60% of students are anxious about returning to campus, but with priorities and needs now varying significantly between new and returning students, how can we ensure the support we provid meet their ever-changing needs?
In this webinar, Ursula Bilson and Ben Scott explore Present Pal's recent research into how the priorities, preferences and needs of students have shifted over the past 18-months, and examine how these differ between new and returning students. Ursula and Ben then discuss how we can improve the support we provide to students, focusing on tools for tackling returning anxiety.
Redefining Disability; Disability Matters with Tabitha Pope
Celebrating disability instead of fearing it enables and empowers true diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. WE know, human life is fragile and WE know disability is not always visible, but did you know your mindset on what you think “disability is” and what you think “it is not” limits potential? What if redefining your perspective on the term and concept of disability “opened the door” to greater possibilities? Is it possible?
This session is designed to raise awareness and empower you to think differently to help your students reach their potential. Amer Latif joins Tabitha Pope to discuss hidden anxiety and the impact to students' communication as well as redefining what it means to have a disability. They also discuss strategies and tools to alleviate hidden anxiety to empower students with their communication skills in work, school and beyond.
Reintegration into the Physical Classroom: Addressing the challenges faced by the campus community as we transition back to campus.
Over the past 18-months, the campus community has faced a wealth of new struggles as they adapted to remote learning. Now, as we are faced with the prospect of returning to campus, a new challenge has arisen - how will we reintegrate students and faculty back into the classroom?
In this webinar, Jennifer Murchison (University of Memphis) and Amer Latif (Present Pal) discuss the additional barriers that the campus community will face as they return to the classroom, such as increased social anxiety and struggles with communications. They address key issues as well as providing helpful tactics and mitigation strategies to address these new challenges.
The New Norm: How has the university experience changed for students with additional needs and what does the future hold?
Navigating through the last 12 months has been challenging for students with additional support needs. The transition from campus to remote tuition has presented a range of new barriers to learning and has highlighted the impact that technology can have on the student learning experience.
In this webinar, Dylan Griffiths (Centre Manager at Bangor Access Centre) and Leah Russell (Freelance AT Trainer) are joined by Rebecca Campbell, a student from Ulster University, to discuss the biggest changes they've witnessed over the past year and weigh in on what aspects of university life they believe have been compromised or enhanced.
The group then look forward and share how they believe education will adapt post-COVID, and discuss what the 'new normal' may look like for the DSA and students with additional support needs.
The Power of Presentations: Why it’s important for every voice to be heard
Oral communication plays an important part in not only our adult lives but during our early years too. In this webinar, our speakers Kelli Suding (PATINS Project) and Amer Latif (Present Pal) look at the different types of oral communication that exist and the challenges they present. Our speakers also focus on the importance of developing communication skills at an early age, and how we can build equity for students learning this skill.
Oral Communication: Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable
In this webinar recording Sara Henry (University of Maine) and Amer Latif (Present Pal) explore strategies and tools that could be used to strengthen resilience, specifically focusing on oral communication skills, the presentation environment and the benefits of successfully engaging with audiences.
A Year of Remote Presentations: How to support student wellbeing and communication challenges remotely
In this DSA specific webinar, Adam Tweed (Ability Net), Ben Scott, and Hannah Woodruff (Present Pal) compare experiences of in-person and remote working and discussed the challenges studying and presenting remotely can create. They also outline strategies and techniques that could be implemented to support students who experience these challenges.
The impact of ineffective presentation accommodations
Amer Latif from the Present Pal team spoke with Adam Kosakowski from the NEAT Center discussing ineffective presentation accommodations and the impact this can have on students.
A tool supporting UDL and communication anxiety
Present Pal is a oral communication support software that helps users with their various communication needs.
Present Pal is a real solution to a problem that nearly everyone faces - communication anxiety.
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