Using rich data to inform student mental health practice and policy

Despite the initial understanding of the word ‘triggered’ as relating to the clinical phenomenon of post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), this language has become a common part of the vernacular today, used by many people to apply to a wide variety of experiences and events. Counselling students are particularly sensitised to trauma, as well as identity politics, and are familiar with trigger warnings at college. They themselves have experienced trauma at high rates. Therefore, we were interested to understand how they might be using the word and interpreting the experience of being ‘triggered’, whether different sources of being triggered are related to emotional reactions, and whether a discourse analysis might indicate how and why the term has become useful and for what other experiences it might be serving as a stand‐in. In this mixed‐methods study, 79 counselling students from around the country shared their definitions and experiences of being ‘triggered’. Participants completed surveys and wrote narratives, which, via thematic qualitative analysis, were coded into five themes. The quantitative analysis focused on the relationship of feelings to themes and the relationship between anger suppression and coping with each theme. Discourse analysis explored how individuals wrote about responsibility and anger. It was discovered that those who wrote about being triggered from a past sexual assault did not discuss anger, nor the responsibility of others to protect them (as those who wrote about microaggressions did), but positioned themselves as overreactors. Results are discussed with regard to training and practice.

Section: Discourse Theorysupporting

confidence: 72%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

The discourse of being ‘triggered’: Uses and meanings among counselling students

Bonilla

Natarajan

Koven

et al. 2022

“…For example, Connell et al (2008) found that 31.5% of clients in a sample of students attending university counselling across seven institutions did not have linked outcome data, a percentage that is likely to be an underestimation due to other data also being excluded. Notwithstanding the increasing policy levers, in the absence of any mandated call to use sessional measures in university counselling and mental health services, it will remain a challenge for services to progress this agenda (Broglia et al, 2021). However, there is an increasing body of literature that may provide supporting arguments to enable service leaders and individual practitioners to give the adoption of sessional measures greater consideration.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Routine outcome monitoring (ROM) and feedback in university student counselling and mental health services: Considerations for practitioners and service leads

Barkham,

Broglia

2023

Self Cite

AimRoutine outcome monitoring (ROM), including the use of feedback, has become a much vaunted method in psychological therapies but is little used in university/college counselling and mental health services, perhaps because its adoption raises questions for many practitioners and service leaders. There is a need for both clinical‐ and research‐based statements to clarify the reasoning and rationale for ROM. This paper aims to present and respond to common challenges of and reservations about using ROM in student counselling and/or mental health services.MethodThe article poses 15 questions and issues about the adoption of ROM drawn from the literature on this topic and further refined by practitioner‐ and researcher‐members of a consortium comprising service leads, practitioners, and researchers working in the field of student counselling in the UK. The questions address nine themes: (1) the purpose and yield of ROM; (2) the burden of measurement; (3) the impact on clients and process of therapy; (4) consistency with therapeutic theory; (5) client groups and settings; (6) concern from practitioners; (7) equality, diversity, and inclusion; (8) implementation; and (9) relationship with the paradigm of practice‐based evidence.FindingsResponses to each of the 15 questions are provided from a methodological, evidence‐based, and clinical perspective.ConclusionsThe responses provide practitioners with the necessary information to enable them to make informed decisions as to the value, or otherwise, of adopting ROM, including feedback, in the delivery of counselling interventions, and generating evidence created from clinical practice.

Developing a minimum data standard for student mental health services in the UK: A qualitative study with staff from university support services

O'Donnell,

Broglia,

Turner

et al. 2024

ObjectiveThis study is part of the Student Counselling Outcomes Research and Evaluation (SCORE) initiative that is pooling university counselling service data to improve datasets and evidence for counselling in this sector. This study aimed to explore university counselling staff views about which data should be included in a national minimum data standard (MDS) to provide evidence for counselling in the sector.MethodSemi‐structured focus groups were conducted with university counselling staff including counsellors, service leaders and mental health advisors. They explored data to include in an MDS, current data collection practices, service and sector level data collection barriers. Two researchers performed content analysis involving identifying fields for inclusion. Thematic analysis was used to identify contextual issues surrounding data collection. Ten focus groups were conducted with 41 participants across 26 university counselling services.ResultsContent analysis identified fields of information for the MDS within the categories of student characteristics, demographics, clinical assessment and service evaluation. Thematic analysis explored context and culture surrounding data collection, barriers and facilitators, institutional influence and ideal data collection practices. This highlights the need for service support and training around data collection, clear processes, and adequate IT infrastructure and staff resources.DiscussionThese findings will inform the development of an MDS as part of the SCORE study. The next stage will involve further development of the MDS and piloting in services. The longer term aim is to implement an MDS across university counselling services, enabling the growth of evidence for the sector which may allow increased funding and service provision.