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STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH REPORT FEEDBACK FROM STUDENTS AND FACULTY
Office of Strategy Management & Institutional Effectiveness
Summer 2019 The American University in Cairo
Student Mental Health Report | 1
INTRODUCTION Early in the Spring 2019 semester, five faculty members formed a group to explore how AUC can improve mental health support for its student population. The purpose of this survey is to better understand students perceptions and attitudes about their mental health throughout their time at AUC.
METHODOLOGY This survey was designed and conducted by the Office of Strategy Management and Institutional Effectiveness in collaboration with in collaboration with the Faculty Group on Mental Health. The findings of this survey will be published on the SMIE website. Invitations were sent to all enrolled students (population: 6,155) and faculty (population: 730) on May 5, 2019, followed by reminders on the 12th, 19th, and 22nd. Due to low response rate, the survey remained open until the fourth reminder was sent on August 6th, followed by two reminders on the 18th and 21st. The survey was closed on the 25th of August, yielding a total response rate of 11% among students (sample size: 676) and 25% among faculty (sample size: 185). Findings from this achieved sample size can be applicable to the total intended student population with a ±4% margin of error and the intended faculty population with a ±6% margin of error at a 95% confidence level.
REPORT STRUCTURE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2
STUDENT’S FEEDBACK ON MENTAL HEALTH 4
FACULTY FEEDBACK ON MENTAL HEALTH 12
Student Mental Health Report | 2
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
STUDENTS 67% of students have reported that they have very often or often found it difficult to function over the course of this academic year due to mental health issues. Undergraduates have shown to experience a harder time coping with stress, where 71% experience hardship as opposed to 54% among graduates. Students, regardless of class, are mostly concerned about their future plans and careers (3.27/5.00), whereas undergraduates are significantly more concerned with managing their course workloads (3.29 vs 2.97 among graduates), as compared to the latter, who report a stronger concern regarding finances (2.97 vs 2.51). Both find it most stressful during examinations, particular finals, although undergraduates are additionally more stressed during midterms as well (63% vs 36% among graduates). Students have reported limited action with regards to seeking help for their mental health concerns, with only 21% seeking help outside AUC, and 23% with the AUC Center for Student Well-being (80% of which are undergraduates). Around a quarter of all students feel uncomfortable opening up to others about their mental health concerns, which seems to be an improvement area in the dialogue for mental health awareness. While students are mostly aware of campus resources addressing mental health issues (3.52/5.00 on an agreement scale), they still prefer to reach out to friends or family. Nevertheless, students exhibit a preparedness to open up to university staff, indicative of a clear potential in utilizing AUC’s Center for Student Well-being, once awareness towards services is in place. Among the 23% who have sought help at the AUC Center for Student Well-being, 72% were addressing issues of anxiety and depression (mostly on account of graduates, 81% of which were in for anxiety and 77% for depression), as well as academic stress. Social concerns and sleep difficulties still constitute a sizeable portion of student concerns, driven mostly by undergraduates. Users of AUC Center for Student Well-being services found quality of care to be good, on average. However, undergraduates are less satisfied with the service, with a higher percentage of poor ratings (20% vs 8% among graduates). Students look forward to long-term support provided by the center, as well as immediate help in case of crises (67% vs 57%, respectively), which requires better staffing of the center and the availability of more appointment slots. Current appointments scheduled show only 13% have been scheduled within the day or the next, 38% within the week, and 34% scheduled for two or more weeks in advance. This has had a negative impact on around 60% of students, whereas 22% have reported having been unaffected.
FACULTY Faculty are mostly aware of AUC resources available to students, yet appear to require some training and awareness on warning signs of mental health distress as well as to boost their ability to help students in need. Moreover, faculty find it challenging to help students as they report AUC does not provide them with the necessary tools to do so. Most faculty, however, show an interest in knowing more about available resources and being properly equipped with the knowledge and resources they need to adequately direct students to where they can get help. Still, some faculty comment on their reluctance or refusal to get involved with student mental health as they are untrained professionals, preferring to direct students to the appropriate channels.
RECOMMENDATIONS Educate faculty on resources available in order to be able to direct students, in addition to how to detect warning
signs and to help students within their capacity
Student Mental Health Report | 3
Promote the Student Center for Well-being adequately to the AUC community through student club partnerships,
email blasts, and portal announcements to reach the widest audience
Increase awareness on how to reach the center and available support provided
Improve staffing and resource allocation at the center to accommodate the increase in numbers of students (and
faculty) requesting support
Diversify treatment plans/options to include online chatrooms, art therapy, etc. to help students with different
needs
Reinforce the privacy/confidentiality policy between counselor and student, to breed a trustful relationship,
which will also improve faculty recommendations to in-house treatment at the center
Develop a clear and more stringent process for obtaining excuses/notes to discourage abusing the system
Simultaneously, coordinate accommodation letters release to students directly with professors to eliminate any
unnecessary stress to the student, and mandate faculty members to abide by them.
Student Mental Health Report | 4
30%22% 20%
14% 12%
1% 1%
Science andEngineering
Undeclared Humanities andSocial Sciences
Global Affairs &Public Policy
School of Business Special Programs Graduate School ofEducation
Schooln=681
33%24% 21%
12% 9%
Freshmen Sophomores Juniors Seniors Expected tograduate
Undergraduatesn=511
516 158 7
5131
931
9310%
17%
8%
Undergraduate Graduate Special Degree
Completed Surveys Total Invitations Response Rate
Student’s Feedback on Mental Health
STUDENTS Response rate: 676 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑠 6,155 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑖𝑛𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠⁄ = 11% Margin of error: ±4% at a 95% confidence level.
ADMINISTRATIVE DATA AND CLASSIFICATIONS
RESPONSE RATE
STUDENT ENROLLMENT
Undergraduates, 76%
Graduates, 23%
Special Degrees, 1%
Student Respondentsn=681
Student Mental Health Report | 5
STRESS PATTERNS AMONG AUC STUDENTS Undergraduates exhibit a drastically higher difficulty in coping with stress than graduates, where 71% experience this difficulty very often or often as opposed to 54% among the latter. Among undergraduates, the frequency of students feeling overwhelmed continues on an upward climb among older students, reaching its peak among juniors and seniors, where around 80% find it difficult to function very often or often during this academic year. This trend drops to around 60% among graduating seniors.
STRESS-CAUSING ACTIVITIES AND DURATIONS Students were asked to rate how stressful1 some activities were for them. Most students reported concerns about their
future careers and managing workload. On the other hand, they are least concerned about finances.
Activities
1 Please rate how stressful the following were for you during the current academic year.
38% 43%22%
29% 28%
32%
25% 23%
35%
8% 6% 12%
Total Studentsn=676
Undergraduatesn=511
Graduatesn=158
How often, if ever, were you so overwhelmed or depressed this academic year that it was difficult to function?
Very often Often Occasionally Rarely or never
3.27
Weighted Average (out of 5.00)
3.21
3.03
2.98
2.62
52%
40%
40%
39%
29%
29%
43%
32%
31%
26%
14%
14%
21%
19%
23%
5%
3%
8%
11%
22%
Concerns about your future plans/careern=681
Managing the workload for your coursesn=681
Concerns about managing additional commitments(work, research, extracurricular activities)
n=681
Maintaining personal relationships (family, friends,significant others)
n=682
Concerns about your financesn=679
Impact of Activities on Stress Levels
Very stressful (4) Moderately stressful (3) Slightly stressful (2) Not a source of stress (1)
Student Mental Health Report | 6
82% 83% 82%
57%
36%
63%
15% 15% 14%12% 14% 11%
All Studentsn=681
Graduatesn=161
Undergraduatesn=513
Stress based on time within the semester
During final examinations During mid-term examinations The beginning of a new academic year Other
This dynamic changes slightly between class levels, where graduates are more concerned about managing additional
commitments to their education, as well as their finances compared to their undergraduate counterparts.
Durations The large majority of students find examination periods, particularly finals, to be the most stress-inducing times2. Undergraduates are significantly more affected by midterms than their graduate counterparts.
2 What time during the academic year creates the highest level of stress or anxiety for you? Please check all that apply.
Concerns about your future plans/career (n=681)
Managing the workload for your courses (n=681)
Concerns about managing additional commitments (n=681)
Maintaining personal relationships (n=682)
Concerns about your finances (n=679)
3.24
2.97
3.20
2.89
2.97
3.28
3.29
2.97
3.02
2.51
1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00
Activities - Average RatingsGraduates Undergraduates
Student Mental Health Report | 7
3.523.06 3.05 3.01
2.46
3.16 3.152.85 3.09
2.74
3.643.03 3.13 2.99
2.37
I am aware of the AUCcampus resources availablefor students to address their
mental health concerns.
I would feel comfortableapproaching at least one
university staff member todiscuss mental health
issues.
AUC provides helpfulinformation about available
campus resources toaddress mental health
concerns.
AUC sends the message thatit cares about my mental
health.
I would feel comfortableapproaching the majority of
my professors to discussmental health issues as it
relates toassignments/requirements
for a particular course.
Average Agreement that...All Students Graduates Undergraduates
61%
42%36%
7% 3% 3% 3%10%
58%
42% 37%
12%5% 4% 4%
10%
61%
41% 35%
6% 3% 3% 3%10%
Friends Family Professionalcounseling
services at AUC
Faculty Student supportgroups
Peer leaders or TA’s
Student advisors Other
If you were particularly concerned about your mental health, where would you most likely turn for support? Please check all that apply.
All Students Graduates Undergraduates
MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT Students have reported limited action with regards to seeking help for their mental health concerns, with only 21% seeking help outside AUC, and 23% with the AUC Center for Student Well-being (80% of which are undergraduates).
PERCEPTIONS ABOUT AUC SUPPORT Most students appear to be aware3 of campus resources available for addressing mental health concerns, undergraduates more so than graduates. Students, at an overall level, feel the least comfortable approaching their professors about these issues, yet they exhibit a preparedness to open up to university staff. This indicates potential to push awareness towards services at designated centers for student support. This would be specifically helpful to graduates, who appear to need access to more information about such available resources.
GETTING SUPPORT Students feel most comfortable seeking support from their friends, across both class levels, followed by family. They also show substantial consideration for professional counseling services at AUC. Nevertheless, a quarter of students opt to not disclose their concerns with anyone, driven mostly by undergraduates.
3 Average agreement on a scale from 1 – 5: 5-Strongly agree, 4-Agree, 3-Neutral, 2-Disagree, 1-Strongly disagree
% Who do not feel comfortable seeking support from others about mental health concerns
All Students
25%
Graduates
19%
Undergraduates
27%
Student Mental Health Report | 8
72%
72%
60%
40%
33%
18%
14%
7%
7%
6%
5%
5%
3%
18%
81%
77%
58%
35%
27%
8%
8%
15%
4%
8%
4%
8%
71%
71%
61%
42%
34%
19%
15%
6%
8%
7%
6%
4%
3%
20%
Anxiety
Depression
Academic Stress
Socialconcerns(loneliness/isolation)
Sleep difficulties
Self-harm
Eating disorder
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
Bipolar disorder
Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Addiction/substance abuse
Race/Cultural Concerns
Gender/sexuality concerns
Other (please specify)
Conditions for which Students Sought Help at AUC Center for Student Well-being
All Students
Graduates*
Undergraduates
Support from the AUC Center for Student Well-being Among the 23% who have sought help at the AUC Center for Student Well-being, the top concerns were anxiety and depression (driven by graduates), with academic stress as a close second. Social concerns and sleep difficulties constitute a still sizeable portion of student concerns, driven mostly by undergraduates. Other concerns provided by students mostly revolve around social issues (family, relationships, homesickness, friendships, etc.), in addition to a few OCD and BPD mentions.
Users of AUC Center for Student Well-being services found quality of care to be good, on average. However, undergraduates are less satisfied with the service, with a higher percentage of poor ratings (20% vs 8% among graduates).
19% 15% 19%
26%46%
21%
26%
27%
25%
13%4%
15%
17% 8% 20%
All Studentsn=143
Graduatesn=26*
Undergraduatesn=117
Quality of CareExcellent Very good Good Fair Poor
*Low sample size
3.15WeightedAverage
3.58 3.04
Student Mental Health Report | 9
27%
19%
16%
16%
15%
14%
16%
34%
23%
10%
12%
16%
7%
8%
14%
49%
28%
22%
17%
16%
17%
16%
16%
29%
Difficulty finding a time that fits within your schedule
Not believing counseling sessions would help
Fear of being seen by others entering the facility
Not believing my information would be kept confidential
Longer than expected wait time for your first appointment
Not wanting to admit there may be a problem
Not applicable, I have scheduled at least one appointment before with anAUC mental health professional
Not applicable, I have never considered scheduling an appointment withan AUC mental health professional
Primary Reasons
All Studentsn=599
Graduatesn=146
Undergraduatesn=446
AUC CENTER FOR STUDENT WELL-BEING IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS Most students are most interested in receiving long-term support throughout the semester or year (67%), but also require immediate support during any crises that arise (5%).
Primary Reasons for not scheduling an Appointment4 Students who have considered scheduling an appointment but have not done so reported mostly a difficulty in finding a time that fits within their schedules. Some are also dubious about the effectiveness of the sessions (mostly among undergraduates), whereas others are not comfortable being seen by others approaching the center.
4 If you ever considered scheduling an appointment with a professional mental health counselor at the AUC Center for Student Well-being but decided not to, what
was the primary reason you did not schedule a meeting? Please check all that apply.
67% Long-term support throughout the
semester or year
GR 67% UG 67%
57% Immediate support during a crisis
GR 52% UG 58%
33% Short-term support
GR 27% UG 35%
7% None of the above
GR 9% UG 6%
Student Mental Health Report | 10
Appointment Setting Details Most students have not set an appointment in the period during which the survey was answered. Among those who
have, however, almost 40% were set within the week, with an equivalent portion set within the next two weeks or more.
Among those who have reported that their appointments have not occurred within the expected time frame, close to
60% reported their condition has severely or moderately worsened, with only 22% reporting that their condition has
been unaffected.
13%
9%
15%
14%
22%
12%
38%
43%
36%
18%
15%
19%
16%
11%
18%
All Studentsn=592
Graduatesn=147
Undergraduatesn=438
Scheduling of Appointment
Same day or next day Within 4 days Within 1 week Within 2 weeks More than 2 weeks
23%
24%
22%
34%
34%
34%
21%
22%
21%
22%
20%
23%
All Studentsn=589
Graduatesn=145
Undergraduatesn=437
Impact of Appointment Delay on Condition
Severely worsened my condition Moderately worsened my condition Mildly worsened my condition Did not affect my condition
Student Mental Health Report | 11
27%
21%
19%
18%
15%
8%
8%
8%
4%
9%
Awareness of services and topic of mental health
Scheduling issues / Student contacts
Staffing / Wait time / Appointments
Faculty awareness and acceptance of mental health
Diversify approach (therapy, online chats, art sessions, etc)
Training for couselors
Academic System (registration, exams period, etc)
Privacy & Confidentiality Issues
Faculty-Center Coordination
Other
Improvements / Suggestionsn=113
STUDENT-PROVIDED SUGGESTIONS Students’ suggestions mostly address lack or limited awareness of the AUC Center for Student Well-being and mental health support in general. They would like to see more awareness-building on campus, coordination with student clubs, and email blasts through the student portal to notify the community about how to find them and get the support they need. Additionally, there are calls for a more organized scheduling system as there are some complaints regarding the center not getting back to students, or canceling appointments without informing them. Students are requesting hiring more staff to meet the staff-to-student ratio and reduce wait time, and to avail more convenient timings for those needing help. On an academic front, students have expressed their frustrations that faculty are not accepting nor aware of mental health issues facing students, and are not flexible in their workload or deadlines. Students are calling for stronger coordination between the center and faculty where, on one hand, faculty can be better educated about hardships facing students and eliminating the standardized manner that they feel currently governs the educational system at AUC, and on the other hand, provides the necessary excuses for the student, which should then be valid for the faculty member to accept formally, as well as avoids unnecessarily stressful confrontations between student and professor.
Student Mental Health Report | 12
27% 26%
17%11%
7%2%
10%
Science andEngineering
Humanities andSocial Sciences
Academy of LiberalArts
Global Affairs &Public Policy
School of Business Graduate School ofEducation
Other
Schooln=681
64% 20% 16%
Facultyn=185
Egyptian American Other
Faculty Feedback on Mental Health
FACULTY Response rate: 185 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑠 730 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑖𝑛𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠⁄ = 25% Margin of error: ±6% at a 95% confidence level
ADMINISTRATIVE DATA AND CLASSIFICATIONS
GENDER
NATIONALITY
SCHOOL Faculty under “Other” include those belonging to the Core, LLT, CLT, and personnel of Provost or Dean designations.
Female, 59%
Male, 41%
Faculty Respondentsn=185
Student Mental Health Report | 13
FACULTY PERSPECTIVES REGARDING MENTAL HEALTH PRACTICES AT AUC Faculty have almost unanimously reported their awareness of mental and physical disorders and their differences, as well as admit that academic pressure has a strong impact on students’ mental health. They are also mostly aware of AUC resources available to students, yet appear to require some training and awareness on warning signs of mental health distress as well as to boost their ability to help students in need. Faculty find it challenging to help students as they report AUC does not provide them with the necessary tools to do so. In addition, faculty are unaware of AUC efforts in regards to drug and alcohol use issues.
42%
40%
18%
18%
15%
16%
8%
17%
12%
4%
7%
39%
43%
41%
35%
27%
37%
31%
30%
31%
13%
15%
9%
10%
13%
24%
18%
25%
22%
22%
20%
16%
22%
6%
3%
10%
14%
10%
14%
5%
16%
17%
8%
33%
3%
4%
4%
4%
4%
8%
6%
17%
3%
2%
16%
5%
26%
4%
29%
6%
13%
57%
6%
I can identify the difference between mental healthdisorders (depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, etc.) anddisabilities (physical mobility, medical, visual impairment,
learning, etc).
I believe that academic pressure can be an importantfactor causing some students to experience mental health
problems.
I am aware of the AUC campus resources available forstudents to address their concerns about mental health,
disabilities, and alcohol and drug use.
I am aware of the warning signs of mental health distress.
Faculty in my department are aware that some studentsexperience mental health challenges and send the
message to our students that help is available for them.
I am confident in my ability to guide students to servicesthat address mental health issues.
AUC provides adequate mental health services forstudents.
I can identify the places or people where I should referstudents with mental health needs/distress.
AUC sends the message to students as well as to facultythat help is available for AUC students experiencing
mental health problems.
AUC provides adequate services for students experiencingproblems with alcohol and drugs.
AUC provides me with information and tools foridentifying students in distress and guiding them to
appropriate resources.
Faculty Perspectives
Strongly agree (5) Agree (4) Neutral (3) Disagree (2) Strongly disagree (1) Don't know / can't say
3.47
Weighted Average (out of 5.00)
3.35
3.29
3.21
2.59
4.20
4.20
3.74
3.52
3.51
3.49
Student Mental Health Report | 14
36%
32%
16%
7%
4%
4%
4%
11%
Educating faculty
Awareness campaigns / more communication
Staffing / Resource availability
Privacy issues
Support through Syllabus
Address faculty mental health
More scrutiny on mental disability accommodations
Other
Improvements / Suggestionsn=56
FACULTY-PROVIDED SUGGESTIONS Most faculty show an interest in knowing more about available resources and being properly equipped with the knowledge and resources they need to adequately direct students to where they can get help. Additionally, they recommend releasing awareness campaigns and getting the conversation going on campus, including addressing faculty mental health issues as well. They also recommend improvements to staffing and other resources and facilities to help with any student mental health problems, as they are somewhat aware of the center’s understaffing. Noteworthy are some faculty comments on their reluctance or refusal to get involved with student mental health as they are untrained professionals, preferring to direct students to the appropriate channels. However, some faculty are reluctant to advise students to use AUC resources on account of student feedback regarding privacy and/or ineffectiveness of the center. The Well-being Center must be made aware of these perceptions and work towards improving its services.
