Mental wellbeing of learners

Medical and psychological fears over Covid-19 and its impact on education sector, public health, economy and the societies in general, have affected us all. For many students, irrespective of their age, the upheaval and uncertainty experienced since March 2020 has had a significant impact on their mental health.

Solitude, the challenges of online learning and the pressure of staying on track with studies, have all taken a toll on the mental health of learners across the globe. Older learners, on the other hand may have concerns about their job prospects in the post-Covid economic climate.

Admittedly, some students might not even realise or may not be able to explain what they are feeling. With school and college closures, education providers need to be alert and ready to support learners who are struggling. Active listening is a good starting point to deal with any issue, including mental illness. Educational professionals can reassure students that it’s understandable to feel worried about the pandemic. It can help to open up that conversation and let learners know they can speak up if they feel any anxieties. As well as modelling ‘open conversations’, teachers can try to provide consistency to help things feel more normal.

Reassurance that ‘there is someone here’ to help will go a long way to easing learners’ anxiety. If a student is opening up, a simple nod or reassuring sound can be enough to let them know that one is listening and then continue the conversation. It should be remembered, that they should be accepted as they are and their feelings, experiences and values are respected.

In a classroom environment, for the anxious students, information should be cognitively chunked into manageable small segments, allowing ease of processing. Teachers should work with the students to prioritise what they can do right now, what should be done soon and what is not immediately important. Additionally, teaching techniques that can help deal with anxiety will also help the students. Teachers can support students through helping them manage their thoughts and emotions well. This may include learning optimism, positivity and resilience. A good psychological education may ‘inoculate’ learners from excessive stress and depression.

Teachers and parents can also obliquely guide students for their own mental wellbeing by prompting them to get creative, be active, connect with others, and get enough sleep. Remember, not all students feel comfortable speaking to a teacher or opening up in their school or college and that’s okay; these students can get advice and help from their parents by coordinating with teachers.

Covid-19 has accelerated the work of education providers to support mental wellbeing of their learners. All private and government run schools, colleges and universities should adopt a mental health strategy, in which academic and non-academic staff must receive mental health and trauma awareness training.

These approaches will empower learners to develop coping strategies within the classroom and in their homes. Having said all above detailed points, it is equally important to differentiate between mental health and mental illness, to help the concerned students appropriately and effectively. At the end, practitioners should look for warning signs in students. Withdrawal from academic activities, being excessively happy or sad, being tired or lethargic, tearfulness, and physiological responses, such as heart palpitations or panic attacks can be signs for teachers and parents to react appropriately.

Outward signs, like lacking of care over personal appearance, frequent minor illnesses, sudden weight loss or gain, irritability and withdrawing from social interaction should also be paid attention to. In addition, out-of-character behaviours, such as usually punctual learners arriving late and missing deadlines, or regular contributors to discussions appearing reluctant to join in, are also signs.

Lastly, all educationists and parents should look out for extreme behaviours and displacement activities, such as alcohol or drug use, gambling, anti-social or inappropriate behaviour, spending excessive hours on social media, over exercising and self-harming. Here, ‘absenteeism and presenteeism’ — when learners attend but operate below their potential — can be useful. Teachers could observe this in their students and react and help them accordingly.

The writer teaches in a biomedical college and is founder of two charities in UK

Email: its.shoaib@hotmail.com