scholarly journals A World Café Discussion on Well-Being: Considerations for Life in the University

Author(s):  
Mairi McDermott ◽  
Marlon Simmons ◽  
Jennifer Lock ◽  
Natasha Kenny

How are universities conceptualizing and mobilizing well-being on their campuses? Our qualitative inquiry explores growing challenges of addressing educator mental health and well-being on university campuses. As part of an effort to increase awareness and support around issues of mental health and well-being at one university, a campus-wide strategy was announced in 2015. This article follows up on that strategy to understand how university educators come to identify with well-being. We collected composite anonymized data from a World Café discussion with a range of educators. The goals of the World Café discussion were to: (a) highlight campus-wide conversations on educator mental health and well-being; (b) explore multiple perspectives and make sense of how educators experience mental health and well-being; (c) create a space to nurture meaningful relationships; (d) inform the continued development of research, strategies, and policies to support educator mental health and well-being. We share four themes that emerged from the discussions to consider well-being and life in the university: (a) affective, relational and holistic aspects “in search of well-being”; (b) working through the messiness of well-being: risks and vulnerabilities; (c) inviting people into a culture of well-being; and (d) the role of leaders in moving beyond policy towards enactment.

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 2-11
Author(s):  
Danielle De Moissac ◽  
Candice Waddell ◽  
Nadine Smith ◽  
Rhéa Rocque

With the increased incidence of poor mental health in young adults, health promotion strategies are needed on campuses. World Cafés were held to facilitate discussion around three main topics: thoughts about findings emerging from a recent health survey; resources currently available on campus; and strategies or resources needed to improve student well-being. Participants readily provided insight into mental health concerns among students, and their recommendations focused primarily on creating a culture of well-being in the university, with more professional support services and greater health promotion. Overall, the World Café approach provided an effective method to engage students and discuss possible strategies to promote better mental health on campus.   Étant donné l’augmentation des problèmes de santé mentale chez les jeunes adultes, il faut adopter des stratégies de promotion de la santé à l’université. Des conversations de type Café du monde – World Café – ont eu lieu autour de trois sujets : 1) des réflexions autour des résultats provenant d’un sondage récent pourtant sur la santé; 2) les ressources qui sont actuellement offertes à l’université; 3) les stratégies et les ressources nécessaires à l’amélioration du bien-être des étudiants. Les participants n’ont pas hésité à témoigner des enjeux de santé mentale dans la communauté étudiante. Leurs recommandations ont convergé principalement vers la création d’une culture du bien-être à l’université, ce qui suppose un accroissement des services d’aide professionnelle et de la promotion de la santé. Dans l’ensemble, la méthode de type Café du monde a permis de faire participer les étudiants et de discuter des stratégies potentielles pour la promotion de la santé mentale à l’université.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 828-829
Author(s):  
Jennifer Crittenden ◽  
Abigail Elwell ◽  
David Wihry ◽  
Lenard Kaye

Abstract The University of New England, in collaboration with the University of Maine, received a five-year grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to improve the health and well-being of Maine’s older adults through enhanced training under HRSA’s Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP). As part of these efforts, stakeholder training needs assessment data were collected via a statewide electronic survey that was distributed to community members and providers throughout Maine. The survey, which focused on the 4M’s of Age-Friendly Healthcare, received 68 responses from older adults/community members (N = 26), program administrators (N = 12), along with community leaders, and those working in the public and non-profit sector (N = 13). A significant emphasis on social isolation, mental health, and grief and loss issues was noted and dominating themes centering on two dimensions of the 4M framework: “What Matters” and “Mentation.” Findings reflect an overriding priority by providers and consumers to keep older adults socially connected (28%, N = 34) and maintaining mental health and well-being during the pandemic (21%, N = 14). Qualitative response analysis identified additional COVID-19-related training topics such as: what to do if you or a loved one contracts coronavirus, how to handle grief and loss related to COVID-19, strategies for supporting loved ones during COVID-19, and socially distanced bereavement support. Results indicate a need to focus on meeting the emotional and mental health needs of older adults, as well as the importance of encouraging connections and mitigating the effects of social isolation during COVID-19.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Marais ◽  
Rebecca Shankland ◽  
Pascale Haag ◽  
Robin Fiault ◽  
Bridget Juniper

In France, little data are available on mental health and well-being in academia, and nothing has been published about PhD students. From studies abroad, we know that doing a PhD is a difficult experience resulting in high attrition rates with significant financial and human costs. Here we focused on PhD students in biology at university Lyon 1. A first study aimed at measuring the mental health and well-being of PhD students using several generalist and PhD-specific tools. Our results on 136 participants showed that a large fraction of the PhD students experience abnormal levels of stress, depression and anxiety, and their mean well-being score is significantly lower than that of a British reference sample. French PhD student well-being is specifically affected by career uncertainty, perceived lack of progress in the PhD and perceived lack of competence, which points towards possible cultural differences of experiencing a PhD in France and the UK. In a second study, we carried out a positive psychology intervention. Comparing the scores of the test and control groups showed a clear effect of the intervention on reducing anxiety. We discuss our results and the possible future steps to improve French PhD students’ well-being.


Author(s):  
Erin Smith ◽  
Greg Dean ◽  
Lisa Holmes

Abstract Introduction: First responders are at greater risk of mental ill health and compromised well-being compared to the general population. It is important to identify strategies that will be effective in supporting mental health, both during and after the first responder’s career. Methods: A scoping review was conducted using the PubMed database (1966 to October 1, 2020) and the Google Scholar database (October 1, 2020) using relevant search terms, truncation symbols, and Boolean combination functions. The reference lists of all relevant publications were also reviewed to identify further publications. Results: A total of 172 publications were retrieved by the combined search strategies. Of these, 56 met the inclusion criteria and informed the results of this overview paper. These publications identified that strategies supporting first responder mental health and well-being need to break down stigma and build resilience. Normalizing conversations around mental health is integral for increasing help-seeking behaviors, both during a first responder’s career and in retirement. Organizations should consider the implementation of both pre-retirement and post-retirement support strategies to improve mental health and well-being. Conclusion: Strategies for supporting mental health and well-being need to be implemented early in the first responder career and reinforced throughout and into retirement. They should utilize holistic approaches which encourage “reaching in” rather than placing an onus on first responders to “reach out” when they are in crisis.


Author(s):  
Javier Ortuño-Sierra ◽  
Beatriz Lucas-Molina ◽  
Félix Inchausti ◽  
Eduardo Fonseca-Pedrero

Psychological problems in children and adolescent populations range from 10% to 20% [...]


Author(s):  
Waleed M. Sweileh

Abstract Objective The current study aimed at investigating the contribution of researchers in the Arab region to the field of mental health and well-being of university students using bibliometric tools. Method Relevant literature was obtained from the Scopus database for the period from 2001–2020. Examples of keywords used in the query included “college student”, “university student”, and undergraduate student” combined with keywords such as wellbeing, wellness, suicide, and anxiety. No language restriction was used. Only research articles were considered. The search query was validated. Bibliometric indicators and mappings such as active countries, institutions, authors, highly cited documents, and the most frequently encountered topics were identified and discussed to shed light on research gaps in the Arab region. Research gaps were also identified. The analysis was carried out on February 12, 2021. Results The search query returned 309 research articles published by authors from 17 different Arab countries. Less than one-third (n = 97, 31.4%) of the retrieved articles were carried out in collaboration with authors from 39 non-Arab countries, mainly from the United Kingdom and the United States. The overall contribution of researchers from the Arab region to global research in the field was 5.6%. In total, 1212 authors from 791 different institutions participated in publishing the retrieved research articles. At the country level, Saudi Arabia (n = 125, 40.5%) ranked first, followed by Jordan, Egypt, and Lebanon. At the institutional level, The University of Jordan (n = 25, 8.1%) ranked first, followed by King Saud University, and Kuwait University. The retrieved articles included 132 (42.7%) articles on stress/distress, 95 (30.7%) on anxiety, 61 (19.7%) on depression. Knowledge gaps on suicide, eating disorders, substance use, and happiness were identified. The retrieved articles appeared in 193 different journals and approximately two-thirds of the active journal were in general medicine, public health, and education. Conclusions The contribution of researchers in the Arab region to the field showed a noticeable increase with time. However, important research gaps were identified. The contribution was confined to authors from a limited number of Arab countries. Funding and international research collaboration for the mental health and well-being of students need to be strengthened.


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