Studies Compromising Health

The demand on the Clinical Psychology section has increased consistently over the past few years, and the increase is to a large extent connected to student life. Out of the total 5126 inquiries last year, 13 per cent fell under the category of «Problems relating to Studies» compared to only seven per cent in 2001. In absolute numbers, this increase constitutes more than a double.

Medical superintendent at Student Health Services Cecilie Daae does not wish to speculate in whether the Quality Reform of Higher Education in Norway is to blame.

«We take notice of this trend, but we are uncertain as to how we shall interpret it. We cannot prove that the Quality Reform is to blame, and it is too soon to tell whether this is a continuous trend,» Daae says.

Burnt-out and Stressed-out

If you look at what diagnoses the Clinical Psychology section has made in the same period, the trend remains the same: «Academic achievement issues» and «problems coping with student life» have increased considerably. The latter category spans over diagnoses such as «burnt-out», «leisure deficiency» and «stressed-out».

Nor in this case does Daae wish to link numbers directly to the Quality Reform.

«We do not want to jump to conclusions. However, we hope that the ongoing HELT-survey, which is supposed to measure the Quality Reform’s impact on student health and well-being, will provide some answers. They are not due until next year,» Daae says.

Ann Christin Gavén and Runa Sørlie Rekstad, who are both doing a Master’s in Psychology, think that the larger pressure on achievement following the Quality Reform is partly to blame.

«I can very much relate to the fact that some people consider the new system to be more stressful,» Rekstad says.

«When the entire system is under pressure, it does not come as a surprise that many people can feel it intensely,» Gavén says.

They are in the middle of an assessment process, themselves, concerning the new Master’s degree in Psychology. They tell us that there have been times of great insecurity among fellow students.

«The insecurity has been due to a course in consultancy work, which is very much related to the working community, aiming at pressure on achievement and high pace. Things are to be done in a «swift and unsound» fashion, which has affected the general well-being for some people,» Rekstad says.

«I also believe that the Reform has somewhat changed students, in the direction of higher ambitions for themselves, which in turn might lead to added frustration over not coping with student life,» Gavén says, who believes that it may very well be more sensible to establish support groups like «Yield the Floor» and «How to Master Your Master’s» as opposed to traditional therapy.

«Problems relating to studies are common worries. That is why more support groups need to be established,» Gavén says.