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    Journal of Research in Music Education
    Volume 0: Ahead of Print
    ARTICLE

    Why Do Music Students Attend Counseling? A Longitudinal Study of Reasons in One UK Conservatoire

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    Raluca Matei and Jane Ginsborg
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    © National Association for Music Education 2023
    https://doi.org/10.1177/00224294231168622open_in_new
    PublisherSAGE Publications
    ISSN0022-4294
    eISSN1945-0095
    AcceptedFebruary 8, 2023
    ReceivedAugust 18, 2022
    Abstract

    Music students in tertiary education struggle with a range of health-related problems. We investigated students’ self-referrals for counseling at a UK conservatoire to explore trends in students’ attendance at counseling sessions over time and identify their reasons for seeking and continuing to attend counseling. We conducted a secondary analysis of data collected from 645 students by two in-house counselors at the conservatoire between 2000 and 2016. We obtained analogous data on all students registered during the same period for comparison and conducted nonparametric tests of association between the groups. A total of 645 students attended a mean of eight (Mdn = 4) counseling sessions over the 16-year period: 63% were female, 79% were from the UK, and 72.5% were undergraduate students. The percentages of students attending counseling increased from 2 (1%) in 2000–2001 to 71 (13%) in 2015–2016. The presenting concerns of almost one in 10 students who sought counseling were related to self-esteem, self-confidence, ego strength, and coping ability. Their main reasons for continuing to attend counseling were also to do with self and identity, relationships, academic concerns, loss, abuse, and anxiety. Female students, postgraduate students, and those studying singing were most likely to attend counseling sessions.

  • Outline

    Sections

    1. Abstract
    2. Terminology: Anxiety, Mental Health, Mental Well-Being, or Distress?
    3. The Present Study
    4. Method
      1. Design
      2. Demographic Characteristics
      3. Materials
      4. Procedure
      5. Results
      6. Why Students Attend Counseling Sessions
      7. Associations Between Demographic Characteristics, Use of Counseling, and Numbers of Sessions Attended
    5. Discussion
      1. What Were the Demographic Characteristics of All Students Registered Between 2000 and 2016 and Those Attending Counseling Sessions?
      2. What Proportion of All Students Registered Were Students Attending Counseling Sessions Between 2000 and 2016?
      3. Why Did Students Attend Counseling Sessions?
      4. How Were Students’ Demographic Characteristics Associated With Their Use of Counseling?
      5. What Were the Potential Relationships Between Students’ Demographic Characteristics and the Number of Counseling Sessions They Attended?
      6. Limitations and Strengths
      7. Future Research
      8. Implications for Practice
    6. Declaration of Conflicting Interests
    7. Funding
    8. ORCID iDs
    9. Note
    10. References
    11. Author Biographies
  • Materials

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    subtitles Table 1.

    Academic YearRegistered StudentsSexProgramSchool of StudyNationality
    MFUGGKSVOSWBPCEUHomeOS
    2000–2001140598111822223930445111218
    2001–2002248114134224243283438551621220
    2002–2003370164206332344113754120152732419
    2003–2004327153174308194213136103141928325
    2004–2005328149179307194711833113162426737
    2005–2006375175200335394613936140143830235
    2006–2007443195248400385415261160143036845
    2007–2008435188247360675315170147122735454
    2008–2009432206226387425613674129122336049
    2009–2010455228227360955713185131173435566
    2010–20114832432403731055913691121244438257
    2011–2012454231223369825910893139174036252
    2012–20134632252383777868113104127133636661
    2013–20144992622374257454106123131194238968
    2014–2015504259242419835911396125243839274
    2015–2016567302265477904614491137284743585
    Total6,5233,1533,632,55719917951,9371,1201,9522494965,272755

    Characteristics of Students Registered in 2000–2016.

    Note. UG = undergraduate; PG = graduate; K = keyboards; S = strings; VOS = vocal and opera studies; WBP = wind, brass, and percussion; C = school of composition; EU = European Union; home = UK & Channel Islands; OS = overseas (anywhere other than UK and EU).

    Table 1.
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    subtitles Table 2.

    Academic YearNumber of All Registered StudentsNumber of Students Attending Counseling SessionsPercentage Represented by Students Attending Counseling Sessions
    2000–200114021%
    2001–2002248146%
    2002–20033704713%
    2003–2004327278%
    2004–2005328175%
    2005–2006375277%
    2006–2007443317%
    2007–2008435348%
    2008–2009432287%
    2009–2010455419%
    2010–20114834610%
    2011–2012454388%
    2012–20134636013%
    2013–20144998617%
    2014–20155057615%
    2015–20165677113%

    Frequency and Percentages of Students Attending Counseling Sessions Relative to All Registered Students in Each Year.

    Table 2.
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    subtitles Table 3.

    Main Reasons by Categoryn%
    1. Self and identity53082%
     a) Self-esteem37658%
     b) Personal growth/search for values and meaning8012%
     c) Other7411%
    2. Relationships46973%
     a) Relationship in the family or with a family member17327%
     b) Relationship with partner7712%
     c) Relationship with other/s (including staff)7111%
     d) Relationship with friend(s) and/or house mates447%
     e) Difficulties in relationship with the opposite gender264%
     f) Other7812%
    3. Academic31148%
     a) Performance anxiety – not exams498%
     b) Lack of academic motivation/concentration and procrastination477%
     c) Poor study skills/time management406%
     d) Struggling academically335%
     e) Disappointment with course/course content244%
     f) Other11818%
    4. Loss20331%
     a) Letting go after a relationship ends7111%
     b) Bereavement – a loss of a relationship through death6210%
     c) Other7011%
    5. Abuse12820%
     a) Persecution/bullying/harassment/stalking477%
     b) Other8113%
    6. Anxiety12620%
     a) Anxiety mild386%
     b) Severe anxiety state274%
     c) Panic attacks223%
     d) Other396%
    7. Physical health7011%
    8. Services, welfare, and employment6610%
     a) Employment and vocational366%
     b) Other305%
    9. Depression, anger, and mood change or disorder447%
    10. Self-harm447%
     a) Intentional self-harm254%
     b) Other193%
    11. Eating disorders396%
    12. Transitions335%
    13. Other mental health conditions254%
    14. Sexual issues213%
    15. Addictive behavior142%

    Main Reasons Why Students Attended Counseling Sessions (AUCC Categorisation of Client Concerns).

    Note. n = frequency of all students who raised a concern in this category; % = percentage of all the students who attended counseling between 2000 and 2016.

    Table 3.
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