Blog: Psychosocial support
What is psychosocial support and why is it important for colleges, universities and students’ associations?
Psychosocial support looks at our psyche – who we are as individuals – and the socio – the environment in which we live.
It is an approach which considers our relationship with ourselves, yet also understands how we interact with our environment and the world around us – the experiences we have, the people we care about, our communities, our hobbies, our self image, our perspectives, the spaces we inhabit which shape us.
Healthy relationships with our environment and ourselves – when we feel valued, safe, have meaningful connections – help us thrive.
When our environment is unstable and uncertain, when life harms us we can react by trying to protect ourselves, we can doubt ourselves and push people away. Some of the experiences we have are hard to recover from and require more support.
When we feel hopeless, connecting in with others can build our resilience, support us emotionally and psychologically.
For colleges, universities and students’ associations, psychosocial support can be about understanding and removing barriers to connecting, creating a culture where staff and students know that it’s okay to ask for help, it’s okay to ask somebody that you’re concerned about how they’re doing.
Student Mental Health Agreements can immediately tell students that support is available, where to find it and who to talk to. They are a key aspect of psychosocial support – building bridges between an individual and the networks that can help them to stay well.
