Student Wellbeing and the Therapeutic Turn in Education

Abstract

This article considers current concerns with promoting student mental health and wellbeing against the backdrop of critiques of the 'therapeutic turn' in education. It begins by situating accounts of 'therapeutic education' within broader theorisation of therapeutic culture. In doing so, the importance of this work is acknowledged, but key assumptions are questioned. The emergence of concerns about self-esteem and wellbeing are then examined through an analysis of changing educational aims in Australia. This enables consideration of the broader context for policy reforms and emergent ideas about the importance of fostering wellbeing and attending to the social and emotional aspects of learning. Finally, the article argues for the salience of historicising both educational policy and scholarly critiques of therapeutic education in order to: (1) situate the contemporary emphasis on student wellbeing within a longer history of educational reforms aimed at supporting young people; (2) unsettle taken-for-granted ways in which mental health and wellbeing are currently foregrounded in contemporary schooling; and (3) develop new perspectives on the therapeutic turn in education.

Loneliness, student engagement, and academic achievement during emergency remote teaching during COVID-19: the role of the God locus of control

“…Drawing on the PNL model (Dormann et al, 2018), loneliness is a negative personal resource confirmed to have deleterious effects on emotions, including mental health and well-being (Diehl et al, 2021;Dinu et al, 2022;Heredia et al, 2017;Kaufmann and Vallade, 2020;Wright, 2014). Since learning engagement is a combination of emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components (Dormann et al, 2018;Fredricks et al, 2004), the relationship between loneliness and engagement becomes relevant.…”

“…Interactions created through online channels cannot form effective relational relationships because of the lack of interpersonal connections (Driver, 2018). Loneliness is an effective predictor of mental health and well-being (Diehl et al, 2021;Dinu et al, 2022;Kaufmann and Vallade, 2020;McIntyre-Mills et al, 2018;Wright, 2014), student engagement (Stoliker and Lafreniere, 2015), academic performance (Fan et al, 2021;Singh et al, 2021;Yalçın et al, 2020), lack of sense of community (Reedy, 2019), and dropout intentions (Alkan, 2014). Thus, it is necessary to explore the possible effect of loneliness on student learning experiences (Kaufmann and Vallade, 2020), such as student engagement and academic achievement.…”

Barriers and facilitators of community-based implementation of evidence-based interventions in the UK, for children and young people's mental health promotion, prevention and treatment: rapid scoping review

“…Schools are similarly becoming recognised as community providers of mental health support, in what has been termed the 'therapeutic turn' in education. 5 EBIs exist within these settings and have the potential to increase access to mental health guidance and support, particularly for those disadvantaged children and young people who otherwise would not receive help. 6 Yet, despite a widespread call within the field to increase the role of community settings, such as schools and the VCS, in providing support for children and young people, little evidence exists on the capacity and capability of these settings to effectively implement EBIs and adhere to evidence-based practice.…”

Want to improve school mental health interventions? Ask young people what they actually think

“…You might, for example, be asked to focus very carefully on the sensory experience of eating a raisin or a piece of chocolate, or you might be asked to simply shut your eyes, feel your feet on the ground and bring your attention to your breathing. As you sit through this lesson, you are not only learning about mindfulness, you are also participating in something bigger: the recent so‐called ‘therapeutic turn’ in education (Wright, 2014).…”