Part of the goal of SMaRteN is to to provide a platform for individuals with a shared interest to have formal and informal discussion. But we also know that there's a huge diversity of interests amongst all 700+ of you.
SMaRteN Groups are platforms that facilitates discussion, based on the areas that are of interest to network members.
Read more below to find out more about our groups and joining them!
SMaRteN Groups are platforms that facilitates discussion, based on the areas that are of interest to network members.
Read more below to find out more about our groups and joining them!
Special Interest Groups (SIGs)Special Interest Groups are platforms set up and managed by members of the SMaRteN community, that meet regularly to facilitate discussion on topics within the student mental health sector.
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Discussion GroupsSMaRteN Discussion Groups are informal platforms through which individuals can connect in an ad hoc way, on a particular topic. They operate as and when members would like them to, and do not call for particular objectives or outcomes.
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Join our existing groups!
SIGs |
Autism and ADHDMental health problems are thought to be more common for people on the autism spectrum than in the general population. Similarly, ADHD is accompanied by high levels of anxiety. The overlap between educational support needs and mental health is often overlooked. This group aims to bring together expertise from across these areas, with clinical and research expertise, to explore new ways of effectively supporting students with autism and ADHD. The group meets (online) to review existing provision, identify good practice, explore opportunities to use current research to improve practice and use challenges faced in practice to inform future research direction.
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PGR Students' Mental HealthThe PhD process is very different from studying a taught course (such as UG, and PGT), and it is this fact that provides the rationale for this SIG focussing specifically on doctoral students. We have established the U-DOC research group at the University of Sussex, funded by the Office for Students Catalyst Fund. From this funding we have conducted several studies aiming to explore the prevalence of poor mental health amongst doctoral students and identify the associated risk and protective factors. We would like to establish this SIG to continue our work, and cement networks that have been triggered via the Catalyst Funding scheme. A key goal for this SIG would be to create some consistency in terms of methods and measures amongst researchers interested in the mental health of PGRs so as to support the collection of large and diverse data sets that can then be used to answer research questions related to prevalence.
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Students and psychosisThe body of research looking at the mental health of university students is ever-increasing. However, almost all of this work focusses on common mental health problems (e.g. anxiety and depression). We would like to propose a SIG that seeks to draw attention to this significant gap in the literature, by founding a group focussed on psychosis and unusual experiences amongst students at all levels of study. The concept of psychosis and unusual experiences would be explored in line with a symptom-specific approach; and aim to explore the unique challenges faced by students with this type of mental health difficulty during their studies. The longer-term goal of this SIG would be to identify intervention targets and develop specific interventions that aim to improve mental health symptoms, reduce any barriers to engaging with studies, and increase satisfaction and enjoyment of the university experience. We plan to develop research studies that involve students for whom the onset of psychosis occurs during their studies, as well as students who come to university with pre-existing/current psychosis symptoms.
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Discussion Groups
Pedagogy and CurriculumThis group is for anyone interested in the role of pedagogy and curriculum in student mental health. This could include curriculum content, curriculum structure, assessment design, questions around whether the curriculum is a place to address wellbeing... and more!
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Measuring Student Mental HealthThis group is for those interested in measuring and tracking student mental health and wellbeing. The SMaRteN network is addressing the challenge of developing a set of core outcome measures for student mental health and well-being, and creating a common language. If you would like to collaborate with others in this field of work, join this discussion group.
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LGBT+ Students' Mental HealthThis is a discussion group for the experience of mental health in LGBT+ students. This discussion board hopes to connect researchers, discuss the work that is currently being completed in this relatively new field, and lead to future collaborations.
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