Project Findings

Secondary Research

Literature Review

Burnout
Burnout has been extensively studied in organisational psychology and educational contexts, with its multifaceted nature explored from various perspectives. Maslach and Jackson’s seminal work (1981) on the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) established a foundation for understanding burnout, emphasising emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and reduced personal accomplishment. Subsequent research by Maslach and Leiter (2016) reflects on the enduring relevance of the burnout construct.
The Oxford Handbook of Organisational Well-being (Cartwright & Cooper, 2011) and Robotham and Julian’s (2006) “Stress and the higher education student: A critical review of the literature” offer comprehensive insights into the lack of qualitative studies around stress within students in an higher educational setting. Schaufeli, Leiter, and Maslach’s review (2009) encapsulates 35 years of research and practice, emphasising the dynamic interplay of individual and organisational factors contributing to burnout.
Jacobs and Dodd (2003) examined student burnout, revealing its association with personality, social support, and workload. Marôco and Campos (2012) provided a structural analysis of student burnout, enhancing our understanding of this phenomenon. Pines (1993) introduced an existential perspective, emphasising burnout as a cost of caring, enriching the theoretical landscape.
Schaufeli’s work (2017) delves into the measurement of burnout, acknowledging its complexity. The literature underscores the enduring significance of burnout as a pervasive challenge in various professional and educational settings.

Education and Invisible Disabilities
The discourse on disability in higher education has shifted towards a social justice approach (Brown et al., 2017). Eccles et al. (2018) explored students’ perceptions and disclosure of disability, highlighting risks and stigmas. Gilbert (2019) emphasised inclusive design for digital accessibility, advocating for a proactive approach.
Invisibility of disabilities is a theme addressed by Grimes et al. (2019) and Matthews (2009), emphasising the challenges faced by students who choose to stay invisible. McMaster and Whitburn (2019) present a Disabled Students’ Manifesto, calling for transformative changes in disability support within universities.
Recent works like Moriña (2022) shed light on disclosure, barriers, and supports for students with invisible disabilities. Mills and Sanchez’s (2023) “Crip Authorship” and Wearmouth’s (2023) “Special and Additional Needs and Disabilities: An Essential Guide” contribute to the evolving understanding of disability as a complex and intersectional phenomenon.

In conclusion, the literature underscores the need for a holistic approach to understanding burnout and addressing the complexities surrounding invisible disabilities in educational settings. Integrating insights from both domains can inform interventions and policies that foster inclusive and supportive learning environments.

Literature Reflection
The literature review emphasises the need for an in-depth exploration of students’ experiences, considering both individual and organisational factors contributing to burnout.
The organisational dimension of burnout implies that insights from both students and institutional representatives should be sought, allowing for a comprehensive understanding of the factors at play. The recognition of diverse experiences among students with invisible disabilities suggests the importance of capturing a broad range of perspectives in the research process, fostering inclusivity and aim for a diverse participant sample for the student focus group.

UAL Dashboard Data:

Analysing the data presented on the Dashboard reveals a notable trend: postgraduate taught courses exhibit the lowest reported disability percentage. This suggests that a comparatively smaller number of students disclose their disabilities in these specific courses. It prompts the consideration that either disabilities are less prevalent among postgraduate students in general, or there may be a tendency among this demographic to disclose disabilities less frequently. This observation adds an intriguing layer to our understanding of the dynamics surrounding disability disclosure within the postgraduate academic landscape.

Primary Research

Interview Findings:

Several themes emerge, providing specific insights into disability services and inclusive practices in an academic setting. Based on my thematic analysis here is my summary of the interviews and specific insights:

Disability services and personal experience.  

I introduced myself as a part-time lecturer and ex-UAL student with a invisible disability, sharing my positionality and experience with disability services. The interviewee is an educator and disability professional within UAL and identified as some who has personal experience with disability also.

Disability terminology and burnout.  

• Educator and disability professional discusses invisible disabilities. Interviewee avoids using the term “invisible disability” due to its potential to perpetuate harmful narratives of deceit and hiding. 
• Interviewee prefers terms like “unseen condition” or “impairment” in the context of the social model of disability, as it emphasises the role of society and environment in disabling individuals. 

Burnout among students with invisible disabilities. 

• Interviewee mentions burnout as a common issue in higher education, particularly for disabled people facing various barriers. 
• Interviewee raises questions about the term “burnout” and its potential to avoid discussing specific types of mental distress. 
• Students with invisible or unseen conditions, such as mental health or chronic illnesses, face unique challenges in higher education, including concerns about being perceived as engaged and present in class. 
• Common strategies for managing these challenges include taking breaks to rest and regroup, but students may worry about how this will be viewed by peers and instructors. 

Disability support at university.  

• Interviewee highlights the challenges faced by disabled students at UAL, including administrative hurdles and the need for more autonomy in identifying support. 
• Interviewee notes that UAL is moving away from relying on Disabled Students Allowances and bringing more support in-house to minimise costs and reduce administrative burden. 
• Interviewee highlights limitations of reasonable adjustments in assessments, advocating for inclusive design instead. 
• Interviewee highlights individualised reasonable adjustments for students with unseen disabilities, acknowledging diverse barriers and the need for a more inclusive approach. 

Disability support and inclusive practices in higher education.  

• I express gratitude for insights on disability support and services and ask about collaboration between programs and courses. 
• Disability advisors face growing caseloads and limited capacity for proactive consultancy work. 

Disability support in higher education.

• Disability service faces capacity issues with consultancy requests from courses. 
• LCC programme aims to build inclusive practices in courses, with hope for resource allocation. 
• University of Edinburgh has implemented an institutional baseline of inclusive practices, including publishing guidelines for accessible teaching methods, which UAL lacks. 

Reflection on interview:

The preference for specific language in the interview informs a thoughtful approach to language use in the focus group. Knowing that burnout is a big issue in higher education guides our focus group discussions to explore the specific challenges UAL students face and find out what might be causing burnout. Talking about inclusive design for assessments means the focus group should use various mediums/formats for students to share their thoughts. The focus group is a place for participants to tell us how well current support is working and suggest ways to make it better. Bringing in insights from the interview gives us a complete view in the focus group, looking at individual experiences and how things are at UAL overall. This way of doing things matches with what I learned about the organisational side of burnout in the literature review.

Focus Group Findings:

Q.a – Academic Journey:  

Reflecting on your academic journey, have you ever felt overwhelmed or stressed due to coursework, deadlines, or other academic pressures? Can you share an example or situation? 

I create word clouds for each question, however I didn’t find it a great tool to analyse the data (as in frequency of words) but they proved useful to help grasp the tone and brief summary of each question. ​

• One individual shared that they felt overwhelmed during their undergraduate studies due to the pressure of learning new subjects and the workload. They found it challenging to balance their coursework and extracurricular activities, which led to stress and anxiety.
• Another individual shared that they experienced stress during a group project in college. They found it difficult to communicate with their group members and felt like they were not contributing enough to the project. This led to feelings of inadequacy and stress.
• A third individual shared that they experienced stress during a new course module in college. They had to travel further to attend the class and struggled to keep up with the coursework. When they asked for help from the faculty, they were told to figure it out on their own, which added to their stress and frustration.
• Another individual shared that they experienced stress during their master’s program due to the change in environment. They found it challenging to adjust to a new culture and way of life, which added to their stress levels.

The key insights from question:  

1. Communication and mutual respect are crucial for successful group work.  

2. Adapting to a new academic environment can be challenging, but finding a supportive community can help.  

3. Effective time management and prioritisation of coursework are essential for managing academic stress.  

4. Being open to exploring creative solutions and making mistakes can lead to valuable learning experiences.  

5. Setting clear goals and expectations for group projects can help ensure everyone is on the same page.  

6. Being respectful and allowing everyone to have a voice in group discussions is important.  

7. Taking breaks and finding ways to relax can help manage academic stress.  

8. Seeking out resources and tools, such as time management apps or study groups, can be helpful for staying organised and on track. 

Q.b – What is Burnout:  

How would you describe the term “Burnout”? (There is no correct answer)

• Speaker 1 struggled with job burnout, found temporary relief in cafe work. 
• Speaker 2 feels burned out from managing multiple aspects of work events while lacking energy and support. 
• Speaker 4 feels overwhelmed and numb, prioritises loved ones after guinea pig’s death. 
• Speaker 3 experiences physical and mental burnout due to overlapping work and personal responsibilities, leading to a weekend where they are unable to move or do anything. 
• Speaker 2 mentions feeling burned out and unable to enjoy their weekend due to work-related stress. 
• Speakers 1 discuss challenges with scheduling social events due to conflicting commitments and limited energy. 
• Speakers 2 discuss the challenges of driving in London, including traffic and distance. 
• Speaker 1 struggles with scheduling breaks. 

The key insights from question:  

1. The experience of burnout is often associated with feeling overwhelmed and physically depleted.  
2. Burnout can impact one’s ability to function properly and work effectively.  
3. Academic stress and overwhelming commitments can contribute to burnout.  
4. Taking a sabbatical may be necessary to address burnout and regain functionality.  
5. The concept of burnout is complex and may be difficult to define, with individual experiences varying widely.  
6. The transition from academic life to professional work can also contribute to feelings of burnout.  
7. The importance of recognising burnout and prioritising self-care and well-being to prevent and address burnout.  

Q.c – Emotional Spectrum:  

Think about the emotional spectrum experienced during burnout. What emotions stand out most prominently? 

• Emotions of burnout include frustration, overwhelm, and exhaustion. 
• Guilt and self-blame are common themes in the conversation, with speakers expressing feelings of inadequacy and pressure to perform. 
• Speaker 2 struggles with meal planning and nutrition due to stress and lack of support. 
• Speaker 4 experiences anxiety as physical pain and seeks to feel lighter, free, and less confined. 
• Speaker 3 touches wood to ground themselves, despite feeling weird about it. 
• Speaker 1 finds coping with burnout by mentally allowing themselves to do things they’re not “allowed” to do, like eating fried chicken or not following self-imposed rules. 
• Speaker 2 discusses their struggle with emotional eating, using food as a coping mechanism for sadness and stress. 
• Speaker 3 mentions the importance of finding a balance between healthy and unhealthy food choices for emotional well-being. 

The key insights from question:  

1. Burnout can be caused by a variety of factors, including work-related stress, lack of self-care, and personal expectations.  
2. Common emotions associated with burnout include feeling overwhelmed, stressed, exhausted, guilty, and restricted.  
3. It’s important to identify and manage these emotions in order to prevent burnout and maintain emotional well-being.  
4. Strategies for managing burnout and emotions include taking time for self-care, setting realistic expectations, and seeking support from others.  
5. It’s also important to recognise that emotional well-being is a journey, and that it’s okay to ask for help and take breaks when needed.  

Q.d – Multisensory Reflection:  

Reflect on the sensory experiences associated with burnout (sights, sounds, smells, textures). How do these sensations contribute to or alleviate the feeling of burnout? 

• Speaker 2 mentioned sensations that contribute to burnout include heightened anxiety, breathlessness, blurred vision, and a feeling of everything collapsing around you.
• Speaker 1 suggest to alleviate these sensations, individuals can employ grounding methods such as the “five, four, three, two, one” method for anxiety, which involves focusing on specific sensory experiences to ground oneself.
• Speaker 4 engages in multi-sensory experiences such as enjoying scented candles, going out in nature, or consuming certain foods can help alleviate the feelings of burnout.
• Speaker 3 adds that practicing self-soothing activities like taking hot showers, using skin care routines, and repeating positive affirmations can also provide relief from burnout

The key insights from question:  

1. Sensations such as heightened anxiety, breathlessness, and blurred vision contribute to the feeling of burnout.  
2. Alleviating burnout involves employing grounding methods, engaging in multi-sensory experiences, and practicing self-soothing activities.  
3. Multi-sensory approaches, such as focusing on specific sensory experiences and using positive affirmations, can help manage and overcome burnout.  
4. Disconnecting from stressors, seeking professional reassurance, and practicing self-care, such as taking hot showers and using skin care routines, are also beneficial in alleviating burnout.  

Q.e – Elemental Interpretation:  

Assign elements of nature (fire, water, air, earth) to different aspects of burnout. How do these elements interact (with one another) to shape your experience of burnout? 

Due to time constraints and similairities to previous questions I decided not to ask Question “e”.

Q.f – Free Writing Exercise:  

The discussion about the free-writing exercise highlights its purpose, which is to encourage participants to reflect on their experiences of burnout in an academic setting. The exercise involves continuous writing without stopping, and the prompt encourages participants to tell the story of their most vivid experience relating to burnout. The discussion also notes that the exercise allows for flexibility, as it can encompass various moments throughout one’s academic journey. Additionally, the exercise prompts given to participants are consider how they would narrate the experience of burnout if it were a chapter in their life story, and what the title and tone of that chapter would be. The discussion suggests that the exercise can be a helpful tool for exploring and processing burnout experiences. 

Prompt: Tell the story of your most vivid experience related to burnout. 

I wrote up the responses to the free writing exercise then made them into Data Poetry by redacted parts of the document only to leave key words to form a poem:

Although the responses were poetic in their raw form, I decided to anaylse them through date poetry building on “Poetry as Method” by Faulkner to explore the transformative role of poetry in qualitative research, providing researchers with a creative way to convey the intricacies of human experiences (2016). ​

Q.g – Metaphorical Journey: 

If burnout were a journey, what mode of transportation would represent it? (e.g., a rollercoaster, a marathon, a maze) How would different stages of the journey be depicted? 

• Speaker 1 uses the “poofing” analogy to describe the challenge of balancing socialising and work, saying that it can feel like constantly appearing and disappearing from different parties and work obligations.
• Speakers 2 discuss the idea of personal growth and change, using the “bandwidth/wave” describing it as life can feel like riding a wave, with ups and downs and constant adjustments needed to stay afloat. It’s discussed further as an analogy to signify that growth is not a linear process but rather a continuous cycle of improvement.
• Speaker 3 mentions “freeze tag” as an analogy for feeling stuck or frozen in a situation while others around you are moving forward. Speaker 3 says, “It’s Freeze tag. Here, you’re having a great time. And then someone’s tagged you. And you freeze and you stop there. And everyone else is having a great time running around. Oh, no. Until eventually someone like a friend stops by and hits you so you can go.”.
• Speaker 4 uses the analogy of a battery-powered train to describe how personal energy can deplete over time as one adds more responsibilities and obligations to their life. The train represents the journey of life, and each carriage represents different aspects of life such as health, family, food, and work. As one moves forward in life, they collect more carriages, and the train becomes heavier, causing the battery to deplete faster.

These are the responses for metaphorical visual representations of burnout from the participants:

Lakoff and Johnson’s “Metaphors We Live By” emphasises the idea that metaphors are not just linguistic expressions but fundamental to our conceptual system. The participants’ choice of metaphors, like “wave,” and “battery-powered train,” reflects deeper conceptualisations of their experiences. Lakoff and Johnson argue that metaphors structure our understanding of abstract concepts through embodied experiences. Therefore, the participants’ metaphors offer insights into how they embodied and made sense of the journey of burnout.

Q.h Wrap up:  

From your perspective, if you could give advice to future students arriving at LCC about managing academic stress and seeking support (regardless of disability status), what would it be? 

The advice given to future students arriving at LCC about managing academic stress and seeking support includes the following key points:

Balancing Priorities: Emphasise the importance of balancing academic responsibilities with self-care and enjoyment. Acknowledge that while university and learning are important, taking care of oneself is equally important.

Taking a Step Back: When feeling overwhelmed with academic pressures, it’s important to take a step back, think, and then move forward. It’s okay to pause and reevaluate when things get too overwhelming.

Seeking Support: Encourage students to seek support from various sources, such as joining clubs, expanding connections, and having a support system in place. Additionally, the importance of seeking support from student accommodation, flat mates, and other support services is highlighted.

Flexibility and Adaptability: Stress the importance of being flexible and adaptive, understanding that work doesn’t have to be perfect, and neither do you. It’s important to appreciate love, family, and health, and to be present in the moment.

Identifying Stressors: Encourage students to identify the factors that cause burnout and seek ways to address them. This includes recognising the economic stress caused by the cost of university, visa and housing processes, and the need for streamlined support systems for students.

Overall, the advice focuses on the importance of self-care, seeking support, and maintaining a balanced approach to academic and personal well-being.

Student notes/doodles from session:

Focus Group Reflection:

Engaging in the focus group was an enlightening experience that deepened my understanding of the intricate dimensions of student burnout. The diverse narratives shared by participants highlighted the unique nature of each individual’s academic journey. The vivid metaphors, like the “wave” and “battery-powered train,” brought a richness to the emotional landscape associated with burnout. Exploring the sensory aspects through and multi-sensory reflections provided a nuanced perspective on participants’ challenges and coping mechanisms. The candid expressions during the free-writing exercise underscored the importance of creating safe spaces for students to share their stories. This profound insight directly informs my next step—planning a workshop. The need for diverse and creative methods, as evident in the focus group, will guide the design of the workshop to ensure it effectively addresses the multifaceted aspects of student well-being.

I went back to one of favourite readings ‘Patricia Hill Collin’s book, Black Feminist Thought‘ to provide a theoritical framework for the workshop which would attempt to address burnout ​on 3 levels which is highlighted when Collins talks about the matrix of domination (Collins, 2000)

1. Personal (students)​
2. Community (course community: their peers and course staff)​
3. Institutional (UAL)​

Workshop Activities: 

1. Personal (Students): 

Objective: Equip students with personal strategies to manage burnout. 

Activities: 

Multimedia Stress Mapping: 

• Provide art supplies and ask students to create a visual representation of their stress journey. 
• Use colors, textures, and symbols to express emotions and sensations associated with burnout. 
• Encourage discussion on how engaging multiple senses in the activity enhances self-awareness. 

Multisensory Guided Meditation: 

• Lead a short guided meditation focusing on the senses (sights, sounds, and textures). 
• Discuss how incorporating sensory elements in relaxation practices aids stress reduction. 

Tangible Stress Ball Making: 

• Provide materials for making stress balls (e.g., balloons, flour). 
• Discuss the physical aspect of stress relief and how squeezing a stress ball can be a multisensory coping mechanism. 

2. Community (Course Community): 

Objective: Foster a supportive course community. 

Activities: 

Collaborative Vision Board: 

• Have groups create a vision board representing their ideal supportive learning community. 
• Discuss how visualising goals and aspirations fosters a sense of community. 

Metaphorical Group Drawing: 

• Assign each group a metaphor (e.g., a tree representing growth) and ask them to illustrate it. 
• Discuss how different metaphors can represent the group’s journey and dynamics. 

Interactive Storytelling: 

• Conduct a group storytelling activity using objects with different textures. 
• Explore how tactile experiences enhance storytelling and communication within the community. 

3. Institutional (UAL): 

Objective: Provide insights and suggestions for institutional improvement. 

Activities: 

Inclusive Design Workshop: 

• Engage participants in redesigning a typical assessment format to be more inclusive. 
• Use tangible materials to physically modify the assessment structure. 
• Discuss the impact of inclusive design on stress reduction. 

Timeline of Support Experiences: 

• Create a collaborative timeline representing participants’ experiences with UAL’s support services. 
• Discuss patterns, gaps, and improvements over time. 
• Use tactile elements to mark significant moments on the timeline. 

Mindful Institutional Feedback: 

• Integrate mindfulness exercises before sharing feedback on institutional challenges. 
• Encourage participants to express thoughts through mindful writing or drawing.