A presentation from the HEA's Research Conference: Promoting Equity in Higher Education 2010.
This paper presented the findings of a longitudinal study across three universities which investigated the wellbeing of students in their first and second terms and examined their help seeking behaviours. Psychological wellbeing was measured with the widely used General Health Questionnaire (GHQ).
Many students were found to have high stress levels starting university (scoring 6 or above on the GHQ) but overall psychological wellbeing improved from term 1 to term 2. Students with no family history of Higher Education recorded significantly lower levels of psychological wellbeing than other students. Concerns about academic performance and inadequate finances caused the highest levels of stress. Choice of subject is also a significant cause of stress which did not lessen in the second term indicating that retention rates are linked to satisfaction with subject choice.
The audience was be invited to discuss interventions or service developments that could be implemented to address the key problems identified by the research. Examples from institutions that participated in the research will were presented for consideration. These included a review of the pastoral role of academic staff and how they are supported an initiative to improve student subject choice and a review of academic feedback arrangements.
