Study Support for Students with Mental Health Issues

1. ADSHE ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2013: Putting Principles into Practice - 1:1 Tuition and Support Study Support for Students with Mental Health Issues Karisa Krcmar Tina Horsman

2. Aims for today • Understand key elements of major, DSA recognised, mental health conditions. • Explore strategies suitable for students with mental health issues through case studies.

3. Packs • PowerPoint slides • Mental Health Recovery Star (Mental Health Providers Forum) • Mental Health Recover Ladder of Change (Mental Health Providers Forum) • Study Star (adapted from Mental Health Providers Forum) • Example of crisis response pathway • Some helpful websites • Post-it Notes for questions

4. What is good mental health? • make the most of the opportunities • play a full part amongst our family • workplace, community and friends • linked with our physical health • key to living a fulfilling life

5. Physical and mental health … • Underpins learning (motivation, interest, concentration, enthusiasm) • Can help/hinder how someone goes about their learning (anxiety, depression, stress) • Daily emotions help someone decide whether they are having a good overall ‘student experience’

6. Social exclusion – the big issues • Disrupts life • Pushed out of society • Ceases to participate • Social exclusion • Lose hope for the future • Lose sight of potential • Discrimination and stigma • Risky business

7. Mental Health • Is the most common type of disability amongst young people aged 18-30 years. • (e.g. Loughborough University) 500-600 students. Comes under Equality Act 2010.

8. Terminology • Neurosis: mental disorder with an organic basis • Psychosis: more severe internal basis

9. We have access to: • Mental health support team - anybody else have this? • Information will be in Needs Assessment - student will have copy and you can ask them - but it’s not always available. • http://www.ntw.nhs.uk/pic/selfhelp/

12. Mental Health concerns considered today • OCD • Eating disorder • Anxiety & stress • Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) • Depression • Bi-polar disorder • Schizophrenia

13. Recovery Star & Ladder of Change Models from Mental Health Providers Forum (cc)

14. Study Ladder of Change Self-Reliance Learning Believing Accepting Help Stuck

16. Case Studies Adam - OCD, anxiety, stress, eating disorder Faith - Asylum Seeker, PTSD, Depression Sophie - Bi-polar disorder Imran - Schizophrenic

17. AdamOCD, anxiety, stress, eating disorder • Undergraduate in geography. • 1st year at different university, came into 2nd year at new university. • No EP available. • No Needs Assessment available.

18. Adam

19. How does Adam present? Attitude nervous anxious takes time to settle Behaviour rituals passive everything is a problem Learning has to follow routine memory concentration Knowledge knows small amount about lots of subjects cannot always make links between cause and effect Links to study support: - concentration – reading, writing, revision, exams

20. Strategies • Reading to locate information • Selecting if relevant

21. Writing

22. Success

23. FaithPost traumatic stress disorder & depression • Undergraduate in Social Psychology. • 1st year at different university. • Doctor’s letter (confidential, no access unless student wishes to share). • Needs Assessment recommends study support for research, anxiety, work management, organisation.

24. FaithAn asylum seeker from Somalia

25. How does Faith present? Attitude timid, disinterested, changeable, anxious Behaviour disorganised, bad timekeeping, passive, inconsistent Learning styles vary, memory, Ideas, Inconsistent, concentration Knowledge vocabulary (2nd language), conceptual, contextual (educational background) Links to study support: - procrastination, time management, self esteem, confidence, concentration, stress & anxiety

26. Study Support Activities Sorted - the daily organiser http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOuHRn_D_CM

28. SophieBi-polar • Undergraduate in Textiles: Innovation and Design • 2nd year • Came with assessment • Needs assessment shows 1:1 for memory issues and organisation

29. Sophie

30. How does she present? Attitude keen for help changeable anxious Behaviour disorganised jumps in bad timekeeping Learning: poor memory rushes through surface learner Knowledge: good some contextual things missing Links to study support: - concentration, impulsivity, memory, self-esteem, motivation

31. Organisation • http://www.6wunderkinder.com/wunderlist Simple to do list, can create several lists, can add sub-lists and extra notes • https://evernote.com/ • Saves your ideas, video, audio

32. I can finish a task

33. ImranSchizophrenia • Undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering. • 2nd year. • Doctor’s letter (confidential, no access unless student is willing to share). • No Needs Assessment available. • 1st year was OK - didn’t come for support, now referred from Mental Health Support Team.

34. Imran

35. How does Imran present? Behaviour: reasonably organised, anxious, slow reading/working, can sometimes lose motivation Attitude: interested, outgoing, pleasant Learning: poor memory, difficulty concentrating Knowledge: good, some contextual things missing Links to study support: - organisation, stress management, memory

36. This way with study support

37. Tiredness & lack of motivation • Depression • Panic • Excessive anxiety • Introverted and introspective (a world of your own) • Staring without blinking

38. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQ9OWMsJBTkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-_q-md80VQhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQ9OWMsJBTkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-_q-md80VQ

39. Strategies Keep stress and anxiety low - exams / revision /strategies to avoid impulsivity • revision schedule • small, manageable chunks • exam time • break down question • draw out • time keeping in exam • liaise with MHT on relaxation strategies. • awareness of own feelings - anxiety levels rising.

42. Implications for Study Support Is this familiar? Perhaps we know more than we thought. We do have tools already.

43. How do we, as tutors, respond? Attitude … frustration Behaviour … irritation Knowledge … recognise the need to acquire it Learning … inadequate

44. Crisis response plan Ensure you know the procedure of the organisation for crisis response. • Emergency phone number? • Support staff? • Health centre? • What’s your responsibility?

45. SAMARITANS 08457 90 90 90

46. Tutors SpLD Mental Health

47. Conclusion • Many areas cross over. • Where we talk of co-occurrence of SpLDs there is co-occurrence of characteristics with mental health issues. • They may not be SpLD students but we can use our toolbox. We have to recognise their learning characteristics. • We should have the confidence to support.