ERIC Number: EJ1205868
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0363-4523
EISSN: N/A
A Qualitative Investigation of Instructors' Perceived Communicative Roles in Students' Mental Health Management
White, Allie; LaBelle, Sara
Communication Education, v68 n2 p133-155 2019
Drawing on scholarship focused on the concept of emotional labor, this study investigates the communicative role of college instructors in managing their students' mental health. Interviews with instructors (N = 17) focused on their perceived communicative roles in their students' mental health management, the communicative techniques they use to address students' mental health in and outside of the classroom, and the concerns they have in addressing the mental health of their students. Notably, instructors identified four communicative roles they feel comfortable assuming, three overarching communicative techniques utilized in their day-to-day interactions with students, and two primary concerns in addressing students' mental health. These communicative roles and techniques suggest a continuum of interpersonal engagement and comfort (or lack thereof) in discussing mental health topics with students. Findings are discussed in terms of their contribution to communication and instruction research, their connections to the emotional labor provided by college instructors for their students, and practical implications for university administration.
Descriptors: College Faculty, Teacher Role, Mental Disorders, Student Needs, Communication Strategies, Interpersonal Communication, Emotional Response, College Students, Teacher Student Relationship, Empathy, Referral, At Risk Students, Teacher Attitudes
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: California
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A