This research contributes to the empirical literature on university student mental well-being by ... more This research contributes to the empirical literature on university student mental well-being by investigating the prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of severe levels of psychological distress. More than 5000 students at a metropolitan Australian university participated in an anonymous online survey in 2013 that included the short form of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21). Comparisons with published research show that our respondents' DASS results were substantially higher than those observed in studies with general community samples, but comparable to other studies targeting university students. Of the explanatory variables analysed, the student's field of study, the number of hours spent studying per week and the number of hours spent caring for family members were all strongly associated with scores in the severe or extremely severe range for each of the DASS scales. These findings provide guidance for policy development, service delivery and further research in higher education.
Law students in Australia experience high rates of depression and anxiety. This article reports f... more Law students in Australia experience high rates of depression and anxiety. This article reports findings from an empirical study investigating the relation between law students’ levels of psychological distress and their experiences of law school. The study was undertaken at Melbourne Law School and the sample included students from both the LLB and JD programs. While Melbourne JD students expressed a significantly higher level of satisfaction with studying law, and their course experience, than Melbourne LLB students, there were no statistically significant differences in the levels of depression, anxiety and stress reported by students in each cohort. This finding suggests that overall course satisfaction does not have a direct effect on students’ levels of psychological distress. More particularly, it indicates that various program features that improve students’ experience of law school do not automatically result in improved levels of student wellbeing. In this way, the study offers new insight into the relationship between students’ experiences of law school and their levels of psychological distress.
Universities are increasingly concerned with student mental health, as empirical studies indicate... more Universities are increasingly concerned with student mental health, as empirical studies indicate a high prevalence and severity of psychological distress among student populations (Larcombe et al., 2016; Bore et al., 2016). From a developmental systems perspective, discussions about student wellbeing must include the perspectives and needs of academic educators. Edward L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000) offers several suggestions for how academic educators can facilitate wellbeing through their teaching, but there is still little evidence of the work that educators do to promote student wellbeing as part of their everyday practice. Using an online survey, we asked 315 academic educators from diverse disciplines at three universities about their experiences with student mental health: their awareness of related issues, their strategies, and institutional supports. In general, respondents were aware and concerned about student mental health. They described diverse strategies for promoting student wellbeing, many of which were common practices in higher education, and all of which were consistent with Self-Determination Theory approaches. The implication for educators concerned with wellbeing is to identify the elements of their teaching that might already be promoting wellbeing. Respondents also wanted greater institutional support around responding to student distress and around mental health literacy. Their comments highlight the importance of a developmental systems approach to student wellbeing in which university systems work together and support each other.
This paper critically evaluates the pilot of a Thesis Writers’ Circles program offered to Educati... more This paper critically evaluates the pilot of a Thesis Writers’ Circles program offered to Education PhD and DEd students at the University of Melbourne in semester 2, 2005. The analysis focuses on the needs of those students that were felt to be well-met by this model of support. Broadly, the paper identifies two distinct but inter-related themes: firstly, the challenge of developing writing skills to a level sufficient to meet the demands of preparing a research thesis; secondly, the importance for research higher degree students of building confidence as apprentice academic writers. In relation to the latter theme, the paper identifies the benefits of community participation and peer-collaboration in working towards the aim of consolidating a thesis-writing identity. It is in this capacity, we argue, that thesis writers’ circles have distinct advantages compared with other forms of candidature support, making them a valuable supplement to both conventional supervision practices an...
Empirical studies consistently find that law students report high levels of psychological distres... more Empirical studies consistently find that law students report high levels of psychological distress. But are law students at heightened risk among their university peers? The few available comparative studies suggest that law students may experience higher levels of psychological distress than their counterparts in medical degrees. However, data are scarce that compare the distress levels of students in law with students in non-medical programs. The study reported here addressed that gap by comparing the prevalence of psychological distress among law students and non-law students undertaking diverse academic programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels. The findings show that a significant proportion of students in diverse fields and at all levels of study reported high levels of psychological distress. Moreover, the law students’ odds of reporting severe symptoms of psychological distress were not the highest on any of the measures used. Overall, the findings suggest that law ...
Prevalence studies indicate that higher degree research (Master's and Doctoral) students expe... more Prevalence studies indicate that higher degree research (Master's and Doctoral) students experience high rates of psychological distress. As a result, universities are seeking evidence-based interv...
ABSTRACT University students are known to be at heightened risk among their peers for experiencin... more ABSTRACT University students are known to be at heightened risk among their peers for experiencing psychological distress and mental health difficulties. To date, there have been few interventions designed to reduce stressors in the educational environment. This may be due to limited research investigating course-related correlates of students’ distress. The present study addresses that gap by identifying and exploring the extent to which six common elements of coursework programmes predict students’ scores on measures of depression, anxiety, stress, wellbeing and satisfaction with life. It finds that the investigated coursework experiences account for more variance in students’ wellbeing scores than factors such as financial strain, worry about future employment, English language difficulties and minority group status. It is hoped these findings assist university course coordinators and academic educators to design and develop curricula, teaching approaches and learning environments likely to mitigate students’ high levels of distress and actively support positive mental wellbeing.
There is now a growing body of empirical evidence confirming that lawyers and law students in Aus... more There is now a growing body of empirical evidence confirming that lawyers and law students in Australia, as in the United States (‘US’), experience levels of psychological distress significantly higher than members of the general population and other professions. The landmark 2009 study by the Brain and Mind Research Institute (‘BMRI’), published as ‘Courting the Blues’, was not the first Australian study to investigate this issue, but it was perhaps the first to be heard as an alarm bell by legal professional bodies and law schools. The BMRI study reported that, on an internationally recognised measure, 31 per cent of solicitors, 17 per cent of barristers and 35 per cent of law students recorded elevated levels of psychological distress compared with 13 per cent of the general population. Subsequent studies with law students at the Australian National University and the University of Melbourne have produced very similar findings: both studies report that approximately 30 per cent of participating law students recorded elevated anxiety symptoms and a similar proportion recorded elevated depressive symptoms, compared with 13 per cent of the general population. The article is organised as follows. Part II outlines the available empirical research and explanations of law student distress that informed the present research and Part III details the methods used in the 2012 study conducted at MLS. Results on levels of psychological distress (Part IV) and the few associated demographic factors (Part V) are then reported. Parts VI-VIII report the results of tests investigating associations between the non-demographic variables in the study (participant- and course-related factors) and elevated depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms, respectively. Finally, we discuss the implications of these findings for the planning of mental health initiatives in law schools and offer suggestions for further research (Part IX).
This research contributes to the empirical literature on university student mental well-being by ... more This research contributes to the empirical literature on university student mental well-being by investigating the prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of severe levels of psychological distress. More than 5000 students at a metropolitan Australian university participated in an anonymous online survey in 2013 that included the short form of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21). Comparisons with published research show that our respondents' DASS results were substantially higher than those observed in studies with general community samples, but comparable to other studies targeting university students. Of the explanatory variables analysed, the student's field of study, the number of hours spent studying per week and the number of hours spent caring for family members were all strongly associated with scores in the severe or extremely severe range for each of the DASS scales. These findings provide guidance for policy development, service delivery and further research in higher education.
Law students in Australia experience high rates of depression and anxiety. This article reports f... more Law students in Australia experience high rates of depression and anxiety. This article reports findings from an empirical study investigating the relation between law students’ levels of psychological distress and their experiences of law school. The study was undertaken at Melbourne Law School and the sample included students from both the LLB and JD programs. While Melbourne JD students expressed a significantly higher level of satisfaction with studying law, and their course experience, than Melbourne LLB students, there were no statistically significant differences in the levels of depression, anxiety and stress reported by students in each cohort. This finding suggests that overall course satisfaction does not have a direct effect on students’ levels of psychological distress. More particularly, it indicates that various program features that improve students’ experience of law school do not automatically result in improved levels of student wellbeing. In this way, the study offers new insight into the relationship between students’ experiences of law school and their levels of psychological distress.
Universities are increasingly concerned with student mental health, as empirical studies indicate... more Universities are increasingly concerned with student mental health, as empirical studies indicate a high prevalence and severity of psychological distress among student populations (Larcombe et al., 2016; Bore et al., 2016). From a developmental systems perspective, discussions about student wellbeing must include the perspectives and needs of academic educators. Edward L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000) offers several suggestions for how academic educators can facilitate wellbeing through their teaching, but there is still little evidence of the work that educators do to promote student wellbeing as part of their everyday practice. Using an online survey, we asked 315 academic educators from diverse disciplines at three universities about their experiences with student mental health: their awareness of related issues, their strategies, and institutional supports. In general, respondents were aware and concerned about student mental health. They described diverse strategies for promoting student wellbeing, many of which were common practices in higher education, and all of which were consistent with Self-Determination Theory approaches. The implication for educators concerned with wellbeing is to identify the elements of their teaching that might already be promoting wellbeing. Respondents also wanted greater institutional support around responding to student distress and around mental health literacy. Their comments highlight the importance of a developmental systems approach to student wellbeing in which university systems work together and support each other.
This paper critically evaluates the pilot of a Thesis Writers’ Circles program offered to Educati... more This paper critically evaluates the pilot of a Thesis Writers’ Circles program offered to Education PhD and DEd students at the University of Melbourne in semester 2, 2005. The analysis focuses on the needs of those students that were felt to be well-met by this model of support. Broadly, the paper identifies two distinct but inter-related themes: firstly, the challenge of developing writing skills to a level sufficient to meet the demands of preparing a research thesis; secondly, the importance for research higher degree students of building confidence as apprentice academic writers. In relation to the latter theme, the paper identifies the benefits of community participation and peer-collaboration in working towards the aim of consolidating a thesis-writing identity. It is in this capacity, we argue, that thesis writers’ circles have distinct advantages compared with other forms of candidature support, making them a valuable supplement to both conventional supervision practices an...
Empirical studies consistently find that law students report high levels of psychological distres... more Empirical studies consistently find that law students report high levels of psychological distress. But are law students at heightened risk among their university peers? The few available comparative studies suggest that law students may experience higher levels of psychological distress than their counterparts in medical degrees. However, data are scarce that compare the distress levels of students in law with students in non-medical programs. The study reported here addressed that gap by comparing the prevalence of psychological distress among law students and non-law students undertaking diverse academic programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels. The findings show that a significant proportion of students in diverse fields and at all levels of study reported high levels of psychological distress. Moreover, the law students’ odds of reporting severe symptoms of psychological distress were not the highest on any of the measures used. Overall, the findings suggest that law ...
Prevalence studies indicate that higher degree research (Master's and Doctoral) students expe... more Prevalence studies indicate that higher degree research (Master's and Doctoral) students experience high rates of psychological distress. As a result, universities are seeking evidence-based interv...
ABSTRACT University students are known to be at heightened risk among their peers for experiencin... more ABSTRACT University students are known to be at heightened risk among their peers for experiencing psychological distress and mental health difficulties. To date, there have been few interventions designed to reduce stressors in the educational environment. This may be due to limited research investigating course-related correlates of students’ distress. The present study addresses that gap by identifying and exploring the extent to which six common elements of coursework programmes predict students’ scores on measures of depression, anxiety, stress, wellbeing and satisfaction with life. It finds that the investigated coursework experiences account for more variance in students’ wellbeing scores than factors such as financial strain, worry about future employment, English language difficulties and minority group status. It is hoped these findings assist university course coordinators and academic educators to design and develop curricula, teaching approaches and learning environments likely to mitigate students’ high levels of distress and actively support positive mental wellbeing.
There is now a growing body of empirical evidence confirming that lawyers and law students in Aus... more There is now a growing body of empirical evidence confirming that lawyers and law students in Australia, as in the United States (‘US’), experience levels of psychological distress significantly higher than members of the general population and other professions. The landmark 2009 study by the Brain and Mind Research Institute (‘BMRI’), published as ‘Courting the Blues’, was not the first Australian study to investigate this issue, but it was perhaps the first to be heard as an alarm bell by legal professional bodies and law schools. The BMRI study reported that, on an internationally recognised measure, 31 per cent of solicitors, 17 per cent of barristers and 35 per cent of law students recorded elevated levels of psychological distress compared with 13 per cent of the general population. Subsequent studies with law students at the Australian National University and the University of Melbourne have produced very similar findings: both studies report that approximately 30 per cent of participating law students recorded elevated anxiety symptoms and a similar proportion recorded elevated depressive symptoms, compared with 13 per cent of the general population. The article is organised as follows. Part II outlines the available empirical research and explanations of law student distress that informed the present research and Part III details the methods used in the 2012 study conducted at MLS. Results on levels of psychological distress (Part IV) and the few associated demographic factors (Part V) are then reported. Parts VI-VIII report the results of tests investigating associations between the non-demographic variables in the study (participant- and course-related factors) and elevated depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms, respectively. Finally, we discuss the implications of these findings for the planning of mental health initiatives in law schools and offer suggestions for further research (Part IX).
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Papers by Wendy Larcombe