Peter McCarthy

Stress and the Contemporary Student

Is contemporary student life stressful? And if so, what factors are associated with stress among students? This paper attempts to provide answers to these questions in reporting a research project that explored physical and mental health among students studying at Newcastle University in 1995. Forty-nine per cent of a stratified random sample of students (956 students) completed a postal questionnaire which, as well as addressing questions of health, covered numerous aspects of student living conditions and lifestyle. Stress was measured by the 12-item General Health Questionnaire, which was converted into a 36-point scale. The analysis identifies various factors that were associated with stress, and culminates in the construction of a multi-variate model that explains 25 per cent of the variance in student stress. The findings are discussed within the context of the changing nature of higher education in Britain

Recognising difference: Providing for postgraduate students

ABSTRACT At a time when higher education institutions are developing strategies to expand the numbers of postgraduate students, identifying the academic and social needs of full-time postgraduate students is of paramount importance. This article demonstrates that the postgraduate population is not homogeneous, and that academic and social provision should be developed with the differing needs of particular groups in mind. Drawing on the results of a postal questionnaire addressed to all full-time postgraduates registered at the University of Newcastle in the academic year 1995/96, to which 636 students responded, the article makes comparisons between taught and research, and overseas and home, postgraduate students. It also argues that postgraduate students have passed through a significant rite de passage, in graduating at the end of their first degree, and therefore feel they have earned the right to separate facilities and more favourable treatment than the rest of the student population. The implicati...

Marriage support services and divorce: A contradiction in terms?

At a time when fewer people are getting married and more marriages are ending in divorce, there is renewed focus on the role of marriage counselling in England and Wales. Knowing how best to support marriages which are in trouble is a consistent dilemma for governments. New initiatives in the provision of information about the consequences of marriage breakdown and the services available to help, and the offer of a novel meeting with a marriage counsellor have been piloted across England and Wales. There is much to be learned from their evaluation about the kinds of support couples need and the varied ways in which relationship counselling can be beneficial before, during and after divorce. The research evidence indicates that marriage support services at the time of divorce can help some people to work on saving their marriage; offer a gateway into the counselling process; or enable people to come to terms with the end of a marriage and move forward to a new future. The article argues for a reduced emphasis on marriage saving as evidence of the success of counselling and increased emphasis on the improvement in the quality of spousal relationships irrespective of whether couples stay together.

Mediating modern marriage: A role for marriage counselling?

Abstract Rather than an indication of lifetime commitment, the predominant form of marriage in western societies is ‘companionate’. It is held together by personal and emotional considerations rather than by traditional influences. The pursuit of personal satisfaction is a central factor in marital relationships and, as a result, marriage has become less secure than hitherto. One result of this is the growth of counselling services which aim to assist couples through the process of negotiating relationships or in coming to terms with the emotional distress of failing to do so. This paper attempts to address some of the concerns about the supposed lack of research on the impact of counselling. It focuses on evaluation of marriage counselling provided by Relate: Marriage Guidance. The evidence suggests counselling can help couples renegotiate their relationships and help them through the personal anxieties connected with relationship problems. It clearly has a role to play in helping people through the comp...

Mortality in Northern Ireland 1979–1983

Abstract Using data routinely published by the Registrar General in Northern Ireland,standardised mortality ratios were calculated for each of twenty-six local government districts across a range of causes of mortality. A descriptive account of these is provided, and attention is drawn to significantly high or low SMRs. A number of social variables were extracted from the 1981 census for each local government district. An investigation of the relationship between these and the SMRs was carried out. Cerebro-vascular disease and the category of ‘other heart disease’ caused markedly high death rates in rural areas and were associated with unemployment and overcrowding as measured by census variables. Lung cancer caused high death rates in urban areas with significantly high rates only in Belfast and Londonderry. Ischaemic heart disease showed very variable patterns across the Province, but it was not possible to explain or interpret these in terms of any of the variables studied. It is thought that other factors such as diet or smoking may be important in explaining the variations observed. It is concluded that the findings of this study suggest the need for further investigation of the relationship between social disadvantage and high mortality rates for certain diseases, since high levels of both are experienced in parts of Northern Ireland.