Loading...
Supporting students with mental health issues and acquired brain injury: University teaching staff perspectives
Fossey, Ellie Bigby, Christine Chaffey, Lisa Mealings, Margaret Willia, Anne Serry, Tanya Venville, Annie Oates, Jennifer Ennals, Priscilla
Fossey, Ellie
Bigby, Christine
Chaffey, Lisa
Mealings, Margaret
Willia, Anne
Serry, Tanya
Venville, Annie
Oates, Jennifer
Ennals, Priscilla
Citations
Altmetric:
Abstract
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.
Keywords
academic staff, disability, mental health, diversity, tertiary education, university teaching
Date
2017
Type
Journal article
Journal
Journal of the Australia and New Zealand Student Services Association
Book
Volume
25
Issue
1
Page Range
15-25
Article Number
ACU Department
Collections
Relation URI
DOI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
License
File Access
Controlled