Responding to student mental health challenges during and post-COVID-19

ABSTRACT

During the COVID-19 pandemic, educators around the globe seek to understand how to support students whose academic performance is impacted by mental health challenges. This article presents a co-operative inquiry undertaken by colleagues in Canada and Australia, responding to the question; what insights can the existing Carleton University framework of reflective questions offer to educators responding to student mental health challenges in social work education during the COVID-19 pandemic? The risks and complexities of attending to student mental health needs are illustrated by a pandemic-informed case study that extends the framework into this unique context and illustrates the importance of respecting learning requirements, combating discrimination, protecting students’ rights, and honouring the professional and legislative mandates of social work within all responses aimed at supporting student mental health resilience during COVID-19. This article acknowledges the limitations of previous practices guiding work with students with mental health needs during any period of crisis or disaster and demonstrates that the Carleton University framework assists in developing improved processes and policy grounded in social work’s commitment to social justice and critical reflection.

KEYWORDS:

• Mental health
• online learning
• COVID-19
• resilience
• social work
• pedagogy
• pandemic

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Brenda L. Morris

Brenda L. Morris is a critical social work practice instructor and former MSW field education coordinator at the School of Social Work, Carleton University, Canada. Brenda’s research focuses on student mental health in professional education, field education, and innovative social work pedagogy during periods of crisis. Brenda is a member of the International Network of Co-operative Inquirers (INCInq) and co-founder of the Alliance of Ontario Social Work Field Education Directors (AOSWFED).

Monica Short

Dr. Monica Short is a lecturer in Social Work at Charles Sturt University, Australia. The psycho-social-spiritual-physical resilience and well-being of individuals and communities in their environments are the focus of Monica's research. Monica coordinates both the International Network of Co-operative Inquirers (INCInq) and a social work and humanities teaching and learning during and post-COVID-19 think tank. She is the recipient of multiple awards, including the 2020 Australia and New Zealand Social Work and Welfare Education and Research Field-University Collaboration Award.

Donna Bridges

Dr Donna Bridges is a lecturer of sociology at Charles Sturt University, Australia. She is a gender and feminist theorist and a qualitative researcher. Her work focuses on gender inequality; women’s work roles as well as occupations that are considered to be ‘non-traditional’. Her research into non-traditional work covers the areas of military institutions, the building and construction industries, social work and the aviation industry.

Merrilyn Crichton

Dr Merrilyn Crichton is a lecturer in Sociology at Charles Sturt University, Australia. Merrilyn has conducted research into rural and regional eMental Health, rural and regional disability mobility and more recently into the links between rural and regional well being and the environment. Her teaching and research focus is broadly located in the areas of social inequality and rural community sustainability/development.

Fredrik Velander

Dr. Fredrik Velander is a lecturer in Social Work at Charles Sturt University, Australia. His research interests include the connection between the ecological environment and mental well-being, workplace practices relating to wellness, mental health and addiction, and the development of best practice interventions in social work.

Emma Rush

Dr. Emma Rush is a lecturer in Philosophy and Ethics at Charles Sturt University, Australia.  A member of the International Network of Cooperative Inquirers (INCInq), Emma brings ethical knowledge, and the clarity and rigour that are characteristic of philosophy to areas outside philosophy. Her research encompasses professional ethics, applied ethics (including her nationally significant work on the sexualization of children) and environmental ethics.

Benjamin Iffland

Benjamin Iffland is an educational designer and member of the Division of Teaching and Learning at Charles Sturt University, Australia.  In his role, Ben collaborates with faculty to deploy support and enable strategic projects, including the online research presentation described in this article.

Rohena Duncombe

Rohena Duncombe is a lecturer in the School of Social Work and Arts at Charles Sturt University, Australia.  She is a co-convenor of the international Social Work and Health Inequality Network (SWHIN) with whom she edited a special edition of the BJSW focused on indigenous health research and writing in 2019.  Rohena’s research interests relate to service access and delivery in health, especially in relation to vulnerable populations. Rohena combines her academic work with active community practice in social work.