Protocol for black student well-being study: a multi-site qualitative study on the mental health and well-being experiences of black UK university students

Abstract

IntroductionThere is an increasing concern about the mental health and mental well-being of university students in the UK. Black university students who report a mental health condition are less likely to complete their course, achieve a first-class or upper second-class degree and progress to further education. This study will document black university students’ accounts of their mental health experiences and perceptions of key turning points of biographical changes to their mental health as they move through the university life cycle.Methods and analysisThis is a qualitative study. Data will be collected through a biographical narrative interpretive method. Interviews will enable the researcher to study systematically how participants make sense of themselves and account for the complexities of their life experiences, from their own perspectives and language. An interpretative phenomenological approach will be used to offer insights into what black students studying at UK universities report affects their mental health and well-being. Data collection for this study commenced in October 2020. Data collection and analyses will be completed by January 2022.Ethics and disseminationFull ethical approval for the current study was obtained from King’s College London Psychiatry, Nursing and Midwifery Research Ethics Subcommittee (Rec Ref: 20489, Project Ref: HR-19/20-20489, 2 October 2020). From the study findings, we aim to contribute to the evidence base, make recommendations for interventions and encourage further study into black student mental health.

Deindividualising Imposter Syndrome: Imposter Work among Marginalised STEMM Undergraduates in the UK

“…Many of our interviewees discussed the importance of peer support, specifically collective and emotionally open spaces such as: friendship groups where experiences of discrimination and marginality could be discussed even if those friends were differently marginalised; and student societies with inclusive cultures and/or which focused on marginalised groups, such as the Afro-Caribbean Society. For hyper-underrepresented students, like Black students, cross-university student societies or cross-university initiatives like Black Students Talk (Stoll et al, 2021) provided important spaces to find peer support with other Black students who understood the specificity of anti-Blackness. While talking about imposter feelings can be powerful – normalising perceived failure or difficult emotions, and encouraging students to seek support as an important part of the learning process (Wong and Chiu, 2019) – there is a limit to just talking about it.…”

A Qualitative Evaluation of the Motivations, Experiences, and Impact of a Mental Wellbeing Peer Support Group for Black University Students in England and Wales: The Case of Black Students Talk

“…Blackpeopletalk.co.uk). Group discussion topics, identified from consultation workshops with Black university students and Black Student Wellbeing Study findings (Stoll, Yalipende, Arday, et al, 2022) The authors drew on relevant concepts from Critical Race Theory (CRT), to provide a methodological selfconsciousness to interrogate the process of delivering Black Students Talk. CRT was applied to explore and challenge racial inequality based on the understanding that racism is embedded as normal practice within society and institutions, rooted in slavery and colonialism (Bonilla-Silva, 1997;Crenshaw, 1991;Crenshaw et al, 1996;Hooks, 1992).…”

“…Black Students Talk (BST) is a mental wellbeing peer support group run by and for Black university students, where students come together to listen, learn, and support their own and each other’s mental wellbeing (www.Blackpeopletalk.co.uk). Group discussion topics, identified from consultation workshops with Black university students and Black Student Wellbeing Study findings (Stoll, Yalipende, Arday, et al, 2022), include race-based trauma, individual and collective grief, neurodiversity, racial and cultural identity, religion, and spirituality. Written Black Students Talk psychoeducational materials were designed and created by the Black Students Talk management team and paid Black student content creators.…”

“…We also sought to understand participants’ perception of the impact of engaging with Black Students Talk. The current study was led by NS as part of the Black Student Wellbeing Study (Stoll, Yalipende, Arday, et al, 2022), who also co-created the grassroots program, Black Students Talk with YY. An independent evaluation could not be conducted due to lack of funding; however, independent researchers were involved in every stage of the data collection, analysis, and write up.…”