Kathleen Moore, Brock University

STLHE Conference, 2013

National: ‘Changing Directions, Changing Lives’ (2012)

Provincial: ‘Open Minds, Healthy Minds: Ontario’s Comprehensive Mental Health and Addictions Strategy’ (2011)

Postsecondary Level◦ Queen’s University’s Anti-Stigma Research Chair

(2012)◦ Ontario Government announced $27 million funding

over the next three years to address mental health concerns on various campuses (March, 2013)

◦ Most students fall into the highest risk age (15-24) for mental illness

Stress in higher education◦ (Abouserie, 1994; Gadzella, 1994; Kohn & Frazer,

1986; Ross, Niebling & Heckert, 1999) Teacher education student stress Master of Education graduate student stress

E-mental health◦ “mental and behavioural health promotion, prevention,

treatment and management-oriented interventions that are delivered via the internet or other electronic technologies” (Klein, 2010, p. 20)

1. How do teacher education and Master of Education students conceptualize academic stress?

1. How do teacher education and Master of Education students conceptualize help-seeking for academic stress?

1. How do teacher education and Master of Education students use the Internet to seek information about or support for academic stress?

Causes Time management (quantity of work, deadlines, and

balancing responsibilities)

◦ Quantity: “In the upcoming month I have something due almost every day”

◦ Balancing responsibilities <-> Finances and Employment “Lack of financial support- I am a single mother with no

income. I will be using a food bank soon”

“Feeling like I'm underwater. When it's not so bad, I'm still working hard to stay above the sometimes choppy waters. But when things pile up, I feel like I'm trying to hold onto that last gulp of air while being held just under the

surface. It means that no matter how hard I try, I just can't do everything and then I feel like I'm constantly underachieving”

RQ1. How do teacher education and Master of Education students conceptualize academic stress?

Expectations “Fear of failure in academics, resulting in a fear of failing in life”

Personal expectationsExpectations from other sources

a) high expectations“I am in concurrent education/teachers college. We have stress

not because we have high expectations for ourselves. We HAVE to do well”

“threats from the program and professors that I would be kicked out if I didn’t have a certain level of achievement”

b) unclear expectations

RQ1. How do teacher education and Master of Education students conceptualize academic stress? Cont’d

Course Components Assignments, exams, addition of online components

“Learning to use the new programs/forums on top of familiarizing myself with the course content is very stressful”

Transitions“A feeling of being lost, especially at the beginning of the year,

when trying to familiarize yourself with new teachers, new schedule, new places, and new online networks”

Support“no support at school, work, or home”“doing poorly on assignments with little feedback to improve is a

cause of stress”

RQ1. How do teacher education and Master of Education students conceptualize academic stress? Cont’d

Responses Emotional

Inadequacy/hopelessness“feeling like I don’t belong because I don’t know what I’m doing”“feeling like I am constantly underachieving”

Being overwhelmed/under pressure“feeling that you will never get it done”“when school weighs heavy on your shoulders”

Anxiety“thoughts circle endlessly”“constant thought on success or failure”

RQ1. How do teacher education and Master of Education students conceptualize academic stress? Cont’d

Physical Responses

Changes in sleeping patternStaying up late to complete work or unable to sleep

Changes in eating patternOvereat or unable to eat

Concentration“decreased focus in seminars and lectures”

RQ1. How do teacher education and Master of Education students conceptualize academic stress? Cont’d

Behavioural Responses “person begins acting in ways that are not ‘typical’”

Difficulty making progress on academic work

Procrastinating/prioritizing

Unprepared for class/increased absenteeism

Verbal expression of stress

Strain in social and family life

RQ1. How do teacher education and Master of Education students conceptualize academic stress? Cont’d

Emotional Aspect“Personally recognizing that there is an issue to address”“That I cannot handle the stress. To me ‘seeking help’ is looking

for a way out. Tears will only get you sympathy. Sweat will get you results”

Behavioural Aspect◦ Individual behavioural coping strategies◦ Support from personal network Friends/classmates Family/significant other

RQ2. How do teacher education and Master of Education students conceptualize help-seeking for academic stress?

Academic support◦ Professors◦ Teaching assistant◦ Administrators

“to approach a professor one must be very frustrated or desperate”

Professional support◦ Psychologist, counsellor, therapist◦ health services, family doctor

“I have only sought help from a professional as a desperate last resort”

RQ2. How do teacher education and Master of Education students conceptualize help-seeking for academic stress? Cont’d

RQ2. How do teacher education and Master of Education students conceptualize help-seeking for academic stress? Cont’d

E-counselling Factors affecting willingness to use e-

counselling◦ Addresses social-emotional concerns and stigma◦ Accessibility◦ Anonymity/confidentiality

Deterrents affecting use of e-counselling◦ Use of personal coping skills◦ Face-to-face support/support from closer

connections◦ Time constraints

RQ3. How do teacher education and Master of Education students use the Internet to seek information about or support for academic stress? Con’t

Use of the Internet◦ “I used search engines to look up resources and clinics”

◦ “I have looked up information regarding stress and feelings of distress and how to deal with it as well as why it might be happening”

◦ “I have used Google in the past to look up this information, but it gets intimidating with all the blogs, chat rooms, and online support systems”

RQ3. How do teacher education and Master of Education students use the Internet to seek information about or support for academic stress?

Academic/professional support often only sought as a desperate last resort. How do postsecondary institutions ensure students seek support prior to it becoming distress? What role do faculty members, administrators, teaching assistants etc. have in this?◦ UBC implementing Early Alert Program; Queen’s University using

the ‘Green Folder’ initiative

Friends/classmates are often the first source of informal support, subsequently followed by family. Are students equipped to effectively help their peers who may be in distress? Are family members informed about services on campuses?

Use of e-mental health in postsecondary environments?

How do teacher education programs and Master of Education programs teach the ‘whole’ student?

Are postsecondary learning environments adequately fostering a community of inclusivity for faculty of education students experiencing stress-related issues?

How can we create institutions that are more responsive and adaptive to the increasingly prevalent mental health and well-being issues?

What role do postsecondary institutions and the

community members within them have in developing and sustaining healthy postsecondary communities?

Abouserie, R. (1994). Sources and levels of stress in relation to locus of control and self esteem in university students. Educational Psychology, 14(3), 323-330. doi:10.1080/0144341940140306

Gadzella, B. M. (1994) Student-Life stress inventory: Identification of and reactions to stressors. Psychological Reports, 74(2), 395-402. doi:10.2466/pr0.1994.74.2.395

Klein, B. (2010). E-Interventions and psychology: Time to log on! InPsych: The Bulletin of the Australian Psychological Society, 32(1), 20-22. Retrieved from http://www.psychology.org.au/publications/inpsych/

Kohn, J. P., & Frazer, G. H. (1986). An academic stress scale: Identification and rated importance of academic stressors. Psychological Reports, 59(2), 415-426. doi:10.2466/pr0.1986.59.2.415

Ross, S. E., Niebling, B. C., & Heckert, T. M. (1999). Sources of stress among college students. College Student Journal, 33(2), 312-317.