A number of resources are available to help university staff understand and address mental health and wellbeing issues in higher education. Some of these particularly deal with specific challenges that may arise within geography programmes.
The following list of online resources, organisations and publications on mental health and wellbeing in HE geography is dynamic. If you know of other resources you think we should be sharing, we’d be happy to hear from you at m.davis@rgs.org
The Society does not accept responsibility for the content of the external sites. Inclusion on this list does not equate to an endorsement of any content or organisation. Please contact the external site for questions regarding individual resources.
Key information and resources
University Mental Health Charter
The University Mental Health Charter Framework is a set of evidence-informed principles to support universities to adopt a whole-university approach to mental health and wellbeing.
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Mental health: Are all students being properly supported? (2019)
Office for Students (UK)
More students than ever are reporting mental health conditions. This brief asks what approaches are being taken across the higher education sector to support them, and what more can be done. Using data available for the first time from the OfS’s access and participation dataset, it explores the outcomes and needs of students with declared mental health conditions.
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Student mental wellbeing in higher education: good practice guide (2015)
Universities UK (UK)
This guidance updates the Guidelines on Student Mental Health Policies and Procedures for Higher Education published in 2000 by taking account of the requirements of today’s students, the increasing diversity of higher education providers and the different policies and practices that have emerged across the four nations of the United Kingdom.
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Support for students with mental health issues in higher education in England (2020)
House of Commons (UK)
This House of Commons library briefing paper sets out data on the prevalence of mental health conditions in higher education students in England and outlines the action higher education providers, the government and the Office for Students are taking to help students with mental health issues. It also flags up how students can get support.
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The declining state of student mental health in universities and what can be done (2018)
Mental Health Foundation (UK)
Why are university students of particular concern? Given that the majority of mental health problems develop by the age of 24, university students are a group at high risk of having mental health problems. Starting university is a major life transition, and can be both exciting and overwhelming. Not only must students manage multiple academic and social pressures, they must also navigate developmental challenges as they transition to adulthood. Students today are faced with unique concerns compared to students in the past.
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Call to Action: Mental Health and Wellbeing in Higher and Further Education (England) (2020)
British Psychological Society (UK)
The mental health of both students and staff in higher (HE) and further (FE) education is a serious concern. This Call to Action sets out the British Psychological Society’s analysis of recommended next steps to maintain momentum on this crucial issue.
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Madness Canada
An activist site that supports academic-community collaborations. Work embraces a diversity of experiences, expertise, and viewpoints, recognizing the legacy of mad pride within Canadian communities. Website contributors include community members, academics, educators and policy makers.
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Organisations
Mental Health First Aid England
A social enterprise offering guidance and training, including Higher Education Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) courses.
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Student Minds
The UK’s student mental health charity; empowering students and members of the university community to look after their own mental health, support others and create change.
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rehab4addiction
An advisory and referral service for people who suffer from alcohol, drug and behavioural addiction.
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NHS Every Mind Matters
Mental health support hub from the NHS.
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Reading list
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Batty, L. (2020) Mental health and fieldwork. Available at: https://blog.geolsoc.org.uk/2020/05/19/mental-health-and-fieldwork/
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Brogan, C. (2018) Imperial geologist tackles field trip mental health. Available at: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/188108/imperial-geologist-tackles-field-trip-mental/
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Clark, G. (2007) Going Beyond our Limits: Issues for Able and Disabled Students, Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 31(1), pp. 211-218, https://doi.org/10.1080/03098260601033134
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Congreve, A. (2019) Creating community among PhD students to help reduce isolation and play a positive role in supporting mental health. Available at: https://www.vitae.ac.uk/news/vitae-blog/
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Giles, S., Jackson, C. & Stephen, N. (2020) Barriers to fieldwork in undergraduate geoscience degrees, Nat Rev Earth Environ, 1, pp. 77–78. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-020-0022-5
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Hall, T., Healey, M. and Harrison, M. (2004) Fieldwork and disabled students: discourses of exclusion and inclusion, Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 28(2), pp. 255-280, https://doi.org/10.1080/0309826042000242495
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Hill, J., Healey, R.L., West, H. and Déry, C. (2019) Pedagogic partnership in higher education: encountering emotion in learning and enhancing student wellbeing, Journal of Geography in Higher Education, https://doi.org/10.1080/03098265.2019.1661366
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John, C.M., Khan, S.B. (2018) Mental health in the field, Nature Geosci, 11, pp. 618–620. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-018-0219-0
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Mol, L. and Atchison, C. (2019) Image is everything: educator awareness of perceived barriers for students with physical disabilities in geoscience degree programs, Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 43(4), pp. 544-567. https://doi.org/10.1080/03098265.2019.1660862
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Mullings, B., Peake, L. and Parizeau, K. (2016) Cultivating an Ethic of Wellness in Geography, The Canadian Geographer 60 (2): 161-67. https://doi.org/10.1111/cag.12275
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Peake, L. and England, K. (2019) (What Geographers Should Know About) The State of U.S. and Canadian Academic Professional Associations’ Engagement with Mental Health Practices and Policies, The Professional Geographer, 72(1), pp. 37-53. https://doi.org/10.1080/00330124.2019.1611455
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Peake, L. and Mullings, B. (2016) Critical Reflections on Mental and Emotional Distress in the Academy, ACME: An International Journal for Critical Geographies, 15(2), pp. 253-284. Available at: https://www.acme-journal.org/index.php/acme/article/view/1123
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Stokes, A., Feig, A.D., Atchison, C.L., Gilley, B. (2019) Making geoscience fieldwork inclusive and accessible for students with disabilities, Geosphere, 15(6), pp. 1809–1825. https://doi.org/10.1130/GES02006.1
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Tucker, F. and Horton, J. (2019) 'The show must go on!’ Fieldwork, mental health and wellbeing in Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Area, vol. 51, no. 1, pp. 84-93. https://doi.org/10.1111/area.12437