stress addressing the root causes

Stressaddressing the root causes

David Taylordcmt@liv.ac.uk

http://www.liv.ac.uk/~dcmt

When you come to University

Part of the continuum

Many changes Structure Feedback Level of achievement Accommodation Independence

Learning the unwritten rules

Structure

For many students, coming to University is a move away from a controlled environment towards independence

Feedback

Students are probably used to regular and detailed feedback

From their teachers And from their family

Achievement

Students may well have been the most able amongst their peers

There is a uniform anxiety about how well they will perform compared to their new peers

Accommodation

Most students will either be away from home for the first time

Or they will be balancing their new found independence with their old family circumstances

Independence

They will be realising that they are at the threshold of facing the world on their own

And now they have to start learning the unwritten rules

For some

For others

Bordieu

Bernstein

Land

Wenger

becoming

boundaries

community

The real issue

Stress…

865kg

Lazarus and Folkman 1984

Actually it is about transition

Jorge Simones, afterKubler-Ross 1969

enjoy

Less than usual No more than usual Rather more than usual

More than usual0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Over the past few weeks, have you been able to enjoy your day-to-day activities?

No

Yes

strain

Less than usual No more than usual

Rather more than usual

More than usual0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%50%

Have you felt constantly under strain over the past few weeks?

NoYes

Overcome

Less than usual No more than usual

Rather more than usual

More than usual0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Have you felt that you couldn't oversome your difficulties?

NoYes

Cope

Never Occasionally Often Always0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Do you ever feel unable to cope as a result of studying medicine?

Comprehensive/stateGrammarPublic (fee paying)

There is some really interesting data – and some strategies – from Dr. Enatescu, Timisoara which we will discuss in the workshop

But what is our model?

Why?