Psychological distress and help seeking amongst higher education students: findings from a mixed method study of undergraduate nursing/midwifery and teacher education students in Ireland

Abstract

International audiencePsychological distress as experienced by higher education students is of major concern because of its potential to adversely impact academic performance, retention, mental health and lifestyle. This paper reports a mixed method investigation of student self-reported psychological distress and help-seeking behaviour. The sample comprised all students (n = 1557) registered on undergraduate nursing/midwifery and teacher education programmes at an Irish university. Participants (n = 1112) completed the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) to determine their self-reported psychological distress and the Lifestyle Behaviour Questionnaire to examine sources of distress, lifestyle and demographic variables. Individual interviews (n = 59) explored student experiences of psychological distress and their help-seeking behaviours. Forty two percent of respondents exceeded the GHQ threshold ≥5, which signifies risk of mental or physical health problems. Sources of distress included academic, financial and psychosocial stressors. Regression analysis identified that demographic, programmatic and lifestyle variables predicted GHQ scores. Despite the distress experienced, students were reluctant users of support services. Many actively avoided seeking help. These findings raise serious concerns about the extent of psychological distress among this population. They also alert education providers to be vigilant for student psychological distress and to provide effective interventions, cognisant of the impact of stigma on help seeking

Challenging Performativity in Higher Education: Promoting a Healthier Learning Culture

“…In Ireland, the changing higher education landscape has resulted in substantial increases in student registration fees and reduced student grants. Less employment opportunities post-graduation also exacerbates the distress [52]. However, it is noteworthy that workload (similar to academics themselves) is the dominant stress-inducing factor.…”

“…The evidence points to increased stress and distress as adversely impacting the health of higher education students also [40]. Recent research by Deasy et al [52,68] found that 39% of higher education students were identiiable as 'cases' (scores > 5 on the GHQ) i.e., having distress levels indicative of poor mental health. Clearly, higher education students are vulnerable to psychological distress [68,69].…”

“…However, academics in demanding working environments are less likely to be in a position to create optimum outcomes for students when they themselves are unduly stressed [45,57]. Furthermore, Deasy et al [52] argue that the increased workload and greater expectations on academic staf in terms of research outputs make it increasingly diicult for academics to dedicate time to developing and supporting students. The adverse consequences of increasing competitiveness and of greater demands and expectations on the health and well-being of academic staf [60,61] raise queries with regard to their potential as role models for health.…”

“…There is an interesting reciprocal synergy at play here. Assessment is the main stressor reported by students [52]. Assessment related workload is also a core stress lashpoint for academics.…”

“…In this context, it is increasingly challenging for academics to engage in self-care with potentially deleterious impact on their professional work and personal welfare. Deasy et al [52] alert us to the tensions that exist between self and other forms of care in professional programmes such as nurse education [53] and initial teacher education [54] and which may provide some explanation for the neglect of self-care by these professionals. What is of deep concern is that sustained exposure to pressures can result in burnout [55], or negatively impact the wellbeing of academics [30].…”