The ‘COVID era’ has had a significant and challenging impact, particularly on young people’s mental health and wellbeing. The 2022 International Student Barometer (ISB) found that more than one-third of international students responding to that survey were feeling stressed, yet only 1 in 6 students reported turning to the counselling services at their institution. With wellbeing now an issue of critical concern in higher education, the need to address these challenges and adopt effective support strategies is acute. But how do we ensure staff are well equipped to respond to student needs and take care of themselves?
For this week’s podcast episode, we talked to Stephanie Griffiths, former Associate Director for Counselling and Mental Health Support at King’s College London and an expert who has worked in the field of psychological counselling for over 30 years. During the pandemic, Stephanie provided input to various EAIE events and resources on student wellbeing and mental health and has proven to be a great source of knowledge on this topic.
About Stephanie Griffiths
Stephanie Griffiths is an intercultural consultant/trainer at her own intercultural consultancy for higher education institutions. She recently retired from the position of Associate Director for Counselling and Mental Health Support at King’s College London, after having worked in the field of psychological counselling for over 30 years. Stephanie has developed several outreach and training programmes to enable home and international students, academics and frontline administrative staff to respond constructively to the psychological pressures they may encounter, particularly post-pandemic. She recently received the 2022 EAIE Award for Outstanding Contribution in recognition of her important work in the field of international education focused on ensuring that the students and staff within our institutions can thrive.
Further exploration
For further insights into the topics touched on in this episode, the following resources may be of interest:
→ Coronavirus: the consequences for mental health (Mind, 2021)
→ EAIE Pathways to Practice: Fostering positive coping and resilience among international students
→ The door is open… but are international students coming in?
→ Supporting international students in times of crisis and conflict
→ How to help students cope with mental health challenges