It's University Mental Health Day today, so it's good to see some serious reflection on this subject. I 100% agree with almost every word of this (my views on the efficacy of Charters to drive quality enhancement are well-known) especially this bit,
"I also think that it remains true that a lot of money is spent on wellbeing “window dressing” around things like self-care awareness weeks, or yoga classes, or puppy petting, or what have you, that contribute to a discourse about mental ill health and raise the pressure on students and staff to be healthy, without actually giving them the means. The NSS mental health question which asks students to make judgements about how well the support on offer has been communicated rather than the quality of the support itself may actually encourage this kind of visible busywork-type activity further."
Universities cannot be places of extensive clinical intervention - we have neither the expertise nor the available resources to do so safely and appropriately - but we should be places where young people (especially) begin to learn how to manage the vicissitudes of adulthood and daily life, develop healthy coping strategies for when bad things happen, and have some time and space to explore their values, hopes and ambitions. That's all nigh-on impossible., though, when the public discourse around mental health totally ignores the socioeconomic realities which are placing the whole of society under massive pressure.
Of course we can do better in supporting this big life transition, both in to and out of university. We must start by being honest with our students about the boring things that will help keep them well - sleep, eating as healthily as possible and getting some form of regular physical activity, ideally outside. There's nothing miraculous in that, but embedding healthy habits will help to build up a hinterland on which to fall back when life gets hard. And then, of course we'll be there to help students back up when they stumble - why wouldn't we? But within a framework of realistic expectations, appropriate messaging, and mutual understanding.
NEW today on Wonkhe: The mental health challenge is real - but universities are at risk of being pushed to deliver mental health support beyond their educative mission, argues Debbie McVitty @debbie_mcvitty https://lnkd.in/e4cBXpsF
Former ICU Nurse Manager
3moParents need to band together along with PTAs, schools,the surgeon general and phone companies (Apple etc) to make phones especially for kids. They should be age dependent & appropriate to keep children safe from predatory kids (mean) and adults, social media, etc. It would be a lot of work but our children are worth it.