Supporting Students With Mental Health Issues and Acquired Brain Injury: University Teaching Staff Perspectives

Students experiencing disability face many barriers in university education, which are often poorly understood by university teaching staff. This is more likely to be the case regarding students with non-apparent conditions, such as mental health issues and acquired brain injury. This study employed...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ellie Fossey, Christine Bigby, Lisa Chaffey, Margaret Mealings, Anne Williams, Tanya Serry, Annie Venville, Jennifer Oates, Priscilla Ennals
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Australian and New Zealand Student Services Association (ANZSSA) 2017-03-01
Series:JANZSSA
Online Access:https://janzssa.scholasticahq.com/article/1335-supporting-students-with-mental-health-issues-and-acquired-brain-injury-university-teaching-staff-perspectives
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850220306343395328
author Ellie Fossey
Christine Bigby
Lisa Chaffey
Margaret Mealings
Anne Williams
Tanya Serry
Annie Venville
Jennifer Oates
Priscilla Ennals
author_facet Ellie Fossey
Christine Bigby
Lisa Chaffey
Margaret Mealings
Anne Williams
Tanya Serry
Annie Venville
Jennifer Oates
Priscilla Ennals
author_sort Ellie Fossey
collection DOAJ
description Students experiencing disability face many barriers in university education, which are often poorly understood by university teaching staff. This is more likely to be the case regarding students with non-apparent conditions, such as mental health issues and acquired brain injury. This study employed an online survey, supplemented by semi-structured interviews, to investigate the views and actions of teaching staff at one university in relation to supporting these two student groups: those with mental health issues and those with acquired brain injury. Survey responses indicated that university staff generally held positive views about both student groups, but that there was inadequate staff training to assist staff in knowing how to support these groups. Staff most commonly supported students by directly negotiating adjustments with students, maintaining regular contact, and using the university’s disability services. The results of this study support previous calls for improved staff training and also draw attention to the competing demands on staff of supporting student learning whilst managing other institutional forces at play in universities.
format Article
id doaj-art-be08e857cfa64f71969d476cdb637f81
institution OA Journals
issn 1320-2480
2207-8460
language English
publishDate 2017-03-01
publisher Australian and New Zealand Student Services Association (ANZSSA)
record_format Article
series JANZSSA
spelling doaj-art-be08e857cfa64f71969d476cdb637f812025-08-20T02:07:06ZengAustralian and New Zealand Student Services Association (ANZSSA)JANZSSA1320-24802207-84602017-03-01251Supporting Students With Mental Health Issues and Acquired Brain Injury: University Teaching Staff PerspectivesEllie FosseyChristine BigbyLisa ChaffeyMargaret MealingsAnne WilliamsTanya SerryAnnie VenvilleJennifer OatesPriscilla EnnalsStudents experiencing disability face many barriers in university education, which are often poorly understood by university teaching staff. This is more likely to be the case regarding students with non-apparent conditions, such as mental health issues and acquired brain injury. This study employed an online survey, supplemented by semi-structured interviews, to investigate the views and actions of teaching staff at one university in relation to supporting these two student groups: those with mental health issues and those with acquired brain injury. Survey responses indicated that university staff generally held positive views about both student groups, but that there was inadequate staff training to assist staff in knowing how to support these groups. Staff most commonly supported students by directly negotiating adjustments with students, maintaining regular contact, and using the university’s disability services. The results of this study support previous calls for improved staff training and also draw attention to the competing demands on staff of supporting student learning whilst managing other institutional forces at play in universities.https://janzssa.scholasticahq.com/article/1335-supporting-students-with-mental-health-issues-and-acquired-brain-injury-university-teaching-staff-perspectives
spellingShingle Ellie Fossey
Christine Bigby
Lisa Chaffey
Margaret Mealings
Anne Williams
Tanya Serry
Annie Venville
Jennifer Oates
Priscilla Ennals
Supporting Students With Mental Health Issues and Acquired Brain Injury: University Teaching Staff Perspectives
JANZSSA
title Supporting Students With Mental Health Issues and Acquired Brain Injury: University Teaching Staff Perspectives
title_full Supporting Students With Mental Health Issues and Acquired Brain Injury: University Teaching Staff Perspectives
title_fullStr Supporting Students With Mental Health Issues and Acquired Brain Injury: University Teaching Staff Perspectives
title_full_unstemmed Supporting Students With Mental Health Issues and Acquired Brain Injury: University Teaching Staff Perspectives
title_short Supporting Students With Mental Health Issues and Acquired Brain Injury: University Teaching Staff Perspectives
title_sort supporting students with mental health issues and acquired brain injury university teaching staff perspectives
url https://janzssa.scholasticahq.com/article/1335-supporting-students-with-mental-health-issues-and-acquired-brain-injury-university-teaching-staff-perspectives
work_keys_str_mv AT elliefossey supportingstudentswithmentalhealthissuesandacquiredbraininjuryuniversityteachingstaffperspectives
AT christinebigby supportingstudentswithmentalhealthissuesandacquiredbraininjuryuniversityteachingstaffperspectives
AT lisachaffey supportingstudentswithmentalhealthissuesandacquiredbraininjuryuniversityteachingstaffperspectives
AT margaretmealings supportingstudentswithmentalhealthissuesandacquiredbraininjuryuniversityteachingstaffperspectives
AT annewilliams supportingstudentswithmentalhealthissuesandacquiredbraininjuryuniversityteachingstaffperspectives
AT tanyaserry supportingstudentswithmentalhealthissuesandacquiredbraininjuryuniversityteachingstaffperspectives
AT annievenville supportingstudentswithmentalhealthissuesandacquiredbraininjuryuniversityteachingstaffperspectives
AT jenniferoates supportingstudentswithmentalhealthissuesandacquiredbraininjuryuniversityteachingstaffperspectives
AT priscillaennals supportingstudentswithmentalhealthissuesandacquiredbraininjuryuniversityteachingstaffperspectives