Who is Responsible for Student Mental Health?
A recent report published by Inside Higher Ed talked about the importance of professors in students well being. And I could not agree more. Except that I am also an adjunct professor and I know how hard it is to squeeze in a ton of information on subject matter and make sure we are assessing student comprehension. Now we also have to make sure their mental health is OK? Is that too much to ask of professors?
Actually, I don't think it is. I realize I am privileged to not only teach social work classes that are already focusing on mental health, but my background affords me a comfort level that some teachers, let's say engineering or IT, might not have. So it may be a bit easier for me to slide in a little mental health support and awareness than for others. But I agree with the article that it needs to be a focus of all professors. And I also agree that it doesn't have to be that hard.
In one class I teach, I asked the students at the beginning of the semester how they would like to start each class. The subject matter, grief and loss, was heavy at times and I wanted to give the students an opportunity to prepare themselves for the material. They asked for a meditation. One student volunteered to prepare the meditation each week and off we went! Each week, the first few minutes of each class was devoted to breathing, mindfulness and reducing the stressors that we walked into the room with. And I do believe that it not only was appreciated by the students, but it also made them more focused on learning. Perhaps it also communicated that I cared about them, so some of them would feel comfortable asking me about supports they needed or losses they were experiencing. I was grateful for that.
One concern that some professors have shared is that they are not mental health workers, so "opening the door" for students to speak to them about mental health issues puts a responsibility on them that they may not be qualified for. I get that. I experience Imposter Syndrome all the time, wondering if I am really qualified to be doing the work I do! And I am qualified, so I can only imagine how it might feel for a teacher to be told about someone's depression or anxiety and how scary that could be. But as the article points out, you don't have to be the therapist or counselor. You only have to be a caring, concerned person. You may be the only person your student feels like they can talk to, so your job is to thank them for sharing and tell them that you are glad they spoke to you. You can then offer resources that you know about, or offer to do some research to find some support for them. You don't have to do the long-term work- but you may be the only person that your student feels most comfortable sharing something with before they tell a therapist or counselor.
Another concern is time. I get that too. We have lessons to prepare, papers to grade, and meetings to attend in addition to the actual classroom teaching. Time is scare. And if a student shares something deeply personal, will we have enough time to let them talk without making them feel like we are in a hurry (which we often are)? How can we offer to be there for them when we really don't have the time to be?Well, often, it doesn't take a lot of time for a student to tell you what's going on if you truly listen to them. Just a few minutes is frequently all they need. And the reality is that if you don't have the time, you can tell them that! "Listen, Julie, I can tell that this is important. And I want to give you the time to talk to me but I have an appointment right now. Do you need support right now or can we schedule some time for tomorrow? If it's an emergency, I will make sure you get the help you need right away, but if it can wait, I want to give you my full attention and I just can't right now." How supportive does that sound to a student that's struggling? What a beautiful message they just received from you about your desire to be there for them. Even if it can't be right now, that message is such an important one for them to hear!
Inner Harbor provides training for staff on this exact topic- how to support and listen to your students when they need it. It's meant for all kinds of staff- teachers, coaches, advisors, activity staff, etc. If you think it could be helpful for your staff, please reach out to me at info@inner-harbor.org.