Mental Health in the Writing Center: Navigating Student and Staff Stress

Research shows that mental health concerns have been on the rise since the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among college students.  Many colleges, including ECU, have services to aid students struggling with issues like anxiety and depression. However, talking about mental health is difficult, so it is up to everyone on campus to create a culture where sharing concerns is not only encouraged but also normalized.

Students often share their mental health struggles in their writing when they meet with student consultants at the University Writing Center.  Additionally, they often need help managing school-related stress during midterms and finals. University Writing Center Director Dr. Nikki Caswell has always been passionate about promoting mental health, helping to launch campus-wide support programs such as HOIST, or Helping Our Students Thrive. However, this past school year the UWC looked for new ways to support students.

In the spring of 2023, several members of the University Writing Center staff completed LivingWorks, an online course that promotes suicide prevention. Through a series of interactive modules, UWC consultants had the opportunity to learn about the TASC model (tune in, ask, state, connect) for supporting people experiencing suicidal ideation. This short but effective model guides participants through recognizing signs of suicidal ideation so that they can refer people in need to the appropriate mental health resources. The course mimics real world scenarios, giving consultants opportunities to think about how they would apply the TASC model in the University Writing Center and their daily lives.

Some consultants opted to complete other professional development around mental health awareness instead of LivingWorks. Several consultants read and discussed “Tutoring the Whole Person: Supporting Emotional Development in Writers and Tutors”  where scholars Jennifer Wells and Dana Driscoll argue that emotion and learning about writing cannot be separated during one-on-one appointments with students, as some writing center literature suggests.  They go on to offer strategies for helping students process their emotions around writing, including mindfulness. Not only does the article advocate for students’ mental health, but it also advocates for the mental health of writing center staff, too.  The authors acknowledge that the emotional labor of helping students with navigating their emotions can be stressful, and they give strategies for managing their own emotions such as creating a self-care plan.

UWC consultants stated afterwards that they found the professional development around mental health awareness to be useful.  After completing LivingWorks, a few said that they were surprised by the simplicity of the TASC model. As the course states, it is best to just ask people if they are experiencing suicidal ideation, but many people do not do this because they are too scared of how people will react.

By exploring mental health awareness, the University Writing Center hopes to create a safe space for students to express themselves and continue the work of other campus departments and organizations. For more information on ECU’s mental health resources, please visit the counseling center’s webpage (https://counselingcenter.ecu.edu). You can also learn more about LivingWorks here or read “Tutoring the Whole Person: Supporting Emotional Development in Writers and Tutors”.