New paper highlights the impacts of war on Sudanese students www.al-fanarmedia.org/2025/05/war-... Shows very similar findings to that experienced by Ukrainian students currently and other students caught up in conflict and war in the past. The call for more support is well noted. - ThreadSky

petraboynton.bsky.social • 2 days ago

New paper highlights the impacts of war on Sudanese students https://www.al-fanarmedia.org/2025/05/war-in-sudan-takes-heavy-toll-on-university-students-mental-health

Shows very similar findings to that experienced by Ukrainian students currently and other students caught up in conflict and war in the past.

The call for more support is well noted.

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petraboynton.bsky.social•2 days ago

Something that's really important to note in these studies about the impact of war on students is how they struggle hugely with the trauma of conflict.

BUT they also report similar struggles to students generally around time management, loneliness, and study skills.

A wide range of help is needed

petraboynton.bsky.social•2 days ago

It's hard to focus, connect, process and prioritise when there are active risks and dangers. This applies to students directly caught up in war, conflict, or displacement. But also for refugee scholars that other institutions are supporting.

petraboynton.bsky.social•2 days ago

It's also important to note how much more significant these issues become in cases of scholasticide (as currently seen in Gaza and Afghanistan and previously in Iraq). Where institutions are strategically destroyed along with healthcare, so provision of wider mental health support is impossible.

petraboynton.bsky.social•2 days ago

Psychological First Aid has a variable reputation for efficacy, however, for situations supporting university students and staff affected by war it can be invaluable.

If you don't know how to deliver it, there's a whole load of free, multi language guidance here https://nostartoguideme.com/psychological-first-aid

petraboynton.bsky.social•2 days ago

As the latest research indicates, provision of assistance needs to fit with localised requirements and knowledge. We've previously seen well intentioned pastoral care givers and therapists ineffectually try and impose their 'academic mental health' support in crisis situations.

petraboynton.bsky.social•2 days ago

It also helps to put things into perspective. Mental health is a vast term (even this paper shows students define it as spanning huge trauma arising from conflict through to belonging and study skills). But globally academic mental health covers many issues, requiring diverse skills and solutions

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