Advance HE Mental Well-being Training: Embedding Mental Well-being in the Curriculum

May 2, 2018Uncategorized Standard

In the following post Dr Sarah Turner (Director of the CAP Taught Course Programme) reflects on the recent Advance HE workshop on ‘Embedding Mental Well-being in the Curriculum’. 

With many key headlines surrounding Mental Health of students, this workshop was a good reminder to stand back and consider how we can support students (and staff) within our programme design.

Here are some points to digest and consider over the coming months about how we encourage positive learning opportunities that also create a supportive learning environment to promote positive mental health:

  • Teachers are the frontline for students – what could/should we be doing about this? How do we cover this in our tutor roles?
  • Post-graduate / Undergraduates / Foundation students – useful for staff to know the weeks where there are known ‘dips’ in student/staff well-being e.g. period of assessment, after Christmas. Encouraging sharing of well-being as a mode to ‘check-in’ with students.
  • World Health Organisation definition (2014) helpful to consider:
  • It’s everywhere but often invisible so perhaps the challenge is making it more explicit?
  • A5 diagnostic chart for each member of staff (on their wall/desk) so they know who to contact if something arises with a student in a tutorial?
  • 5 ways to embed well-being in a curriculum (by New Economic Foundation NEF):
    • Connect – connecting with students, personal 1:1, making friends in seminars, connections through learning in the classroom
    • Be active –  moving around e.g. walks together
    • Take notice – encourage people to be aware of their environment in Teaching and learning
    • Give – peer support / peer learning / how students give back to the Uni and how they can be citizens
    • Keep learning – foster independence, self-direction amongst students e.g. week 5 is health and well-being week – come along and colour the Uni colour map or come for a massage

Further Resources from the workshop are available below:

 

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