mental wellbeing for international students: following best practice ruth caleb head of counselling,...
TRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: Mental Wellbeing for International Students: Following best practice Ruth Caleb Head of Counselling, Brunel University London Chair, UUK Mental Wellbeing](https://reader030.vdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022032600/56649dcf5503460f94ac4771/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Mental Wellbeing for International Students: Following best practice
Ruth CalebHead of Counselling, Brunel University London
Chair, UUK Mental Wellbeing in HE Working Group (MWBHE)
Vida DouglasConsultant in Academic Practice
Higher Education Academy
June 2015
![Page 2: Mental Wellbeing for International Students: Following best practice Ruth Caleb Head of Counselling, Brunel University London Chair, UUK Mental Wellbeing](https://reader030.vdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022032600/56649dcf5503460f94ac4771/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
International Students
The number of international students in UK HEIs has been steadily rising over the last decade
HESA figures indicate that in 2013-4 almost 300,000 international students and over 125,000 EU students were studying here.
International student numbers are increasing and now make up over 18% of our university student cohort.
![Page 3: Mental Wellbeing for International Students: Following best practice Ruth Caleb Head of Counselling, Brunel University London Chair, UUK Mental Wellbeing](https://reader030.vdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022032600/56649dcf5503460f94ac4771/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
All students have worries…• HEA / HEPI survey (10% less happy than the general
population) (Time To Change Health check)• University support services have seen a large increase in
students with serious and complex mental health problems, disproportionate to the rise in student numbers.
• Over the last five years, the proportion of students who declared a mental health disability increased from 6% in 2007-08 to 10% in 2011-12. Many students prefer not to disclose mental ill health, so we must assume that these figures are a likely to be a considerable underestimate of students with mental health problems.
• The number of counselling clients in many services has more than doubled in the last 10 years.
![Page 4: Mental Wellbeing for International Students: Following best practice Ruth Caleb Head of Counselling, Brunel University London Chair, UUK Mental Wellbeing](https://reader030.vdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022032600/56649dcf5503460f94ac4771/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Following the international student journey…Exercise
• Form 5 groups:– Pre-Arrival– Arrival– Year 1– Year 2– Final yearList all the aspects you can think of to support the mental wellbeing of international students .
Write them on a flip chart and feed back.
![Page 5: Mental Wellbeing for International Students: Following best practice Ruth Caleb Head of Counselling, Brunel University London Chair, UUK Mental Wellbeing](https://reader030.vdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022032600/56649dcf5503460f94ac4771/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Pre-arrival
• Pre-departure events and webinars• Outline anticipated challenges–Weather, clothing, food, –educational style– Expense of studying abroad
• Mailbase to link new students together
![Page 6: Mental Wellbeing for International Students: Following best practice Ruth Caleb Head of Counselling, Brunel University London Chair, UUK Mental Wellbeing](https://reader030.vdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022032600/56649dcf5503460f94ac4771/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Arrival
• Coping with homesickness and culture shock– Buddy systems– Academic department embedding activities, e.g.
‘treasure hunts’• Challenging loneliness:– Airport Welcome Service – International Orientation Programme
![Page 7: Mental Wellbeing for International Students: Following best practice Ruth Caleb Head of Counselling, Brunel University London Chair, UUK Mental Wellbeing](https://reader030.vdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022032600/56649dcf5503460f94ac4771/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Year 1
• Helping international students to embed – concentrate on fresher’s week, or a ‘long thin’ induction?
• Support for families of students• Language difficulties• Dealing with problems back home• Working with cultural differences in attitudes to
accepting support• Coping with vacations, whether returning home
or not…
![Page 8: Mental Wellbeing for International Students: Following best practice Ruth Caleb Head of Counselling, Brunel University London Chair, UUK Mental Wellbeing](https://reader030.vdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022032600/56649dcf5503460f94ac4771/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Year 2
• Sorting out private accommodation• Who to live with?• How to cope with the year 2 doldrums– Volunteering?– Becoming an international ambassador / buddy?– Joining student union activities?
![Page 9: Mental Wellbeing for International Students: Following best practice Ruth Caleb Head of Counselling, Brunel University London Chair, UUK Mental Wellbeing](https://reader030.vdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022032600/56649dcf5503460f94ac4771/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Final year
• Supporting concerns for the future • Employment opportunities• Achievement or failure?• Visa problems• Helping international students to
communicate with their families on their return home
![Page 10: Mental Wellbeing for International Students: Following best practice Ruth Caleb Head of Counselling, Brunel University London Chair, UUK Mental Wellbeing](https://reader030.vdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022032600/56649dcf5503460f94ac4771/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Following best practice• Curriculum Design/Delivery– Student induction– Culturally diverse
content – Scheduling of
examinations
• Inclusive environments– Services/Support– Culture/Values– Mindfulness
• University commitment– Policy/strategy– The global student
• The student experience– Co-production approach
to care– Student ambassadors
![Page 11: Mental Wellbeing for International Students: Following best practice Ruth Caleb Head of Counselling, Brunel University London Chair, UUK Mental Wellbeing](https://reader030.vdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022032600/56649dcf5503460f94ac4771/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Wellbeing Initiatives for All
![Page 12: Mental Wellbeing for International Students: Following best practice Ruth Caleb Head of Counselling, Brunel University London Chair, UUK Mental Wellbeing](https://reader030.vdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022032600/56649dcf5503460f94ac4771/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Throughout the course journey …
• Celebrations of diversity e.g. ‘One World Week’• Offer a wide range of services that all students
can benefit from.• Engagement in world issues, offering support
where required, e.g. international disasters
![Page 13: Mental Wellbeing for International Students: Following best practice Ruth Caleb Head of Counselling, Brunel University London Chair, UUK Mental Wellbeing](https://reader030.vdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022032600/56649dcf5503460f94ac4771/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Finally…
• Any questions?
• Thank you for coming to this discussion group!
• Email: [email protected]@heacademy.ac.uk