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Heir-apparent or Outsiders? An Exploration into Educational Psychologists' Sensemaking of their Role in Mental Health

Davies, Charmaine; (2020) Heir-apparent or Outsiders? An Exploration into Educational Psychologists' Sensemaking of their Role in Mental Health. Doctoral thesis (D.Ed.Psy), UCL (University College London). Green open access

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Abstract

Children and young people’s (CYP) mental health have been a growing public health concern in the UK (Department of Health & Department for Education, 2017). The aim of this research was to explore educational psychologists’ (EP) sensemaking of their role in mental health with a focus on two main questions: ‘What are EPs’ sensemaking accounts of their role in mental health?’ and ‘What are some of the key factors influencing EPs’ sensemaking of their role in mental health?’ A novel qualitative methodological approach was adopted involving a metaphorical analysis of metaphors elicited in EPs’ sensemaking accounts of their role in mental health. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with sixteen participants from four different local authorities (LAs). The metaphors generated were categorised into two main themes: Heir-apparent and Outsider. The two themes illustrated the paradoxical identity construction of the EP role in mental health. It was also found that EPs’ sensemaking accounts were shaped by three critical factors: personal, contextual and mental health discourses. One conclusion from these findings was that the nature of EPs’ sensemaking could enhance and/or reduce EPs’ self-esteem, self-efficacy and role satisfaction. Additionally, the identity construction of Heir-apparent and Outsider symbolised a wider dilemma faced by other non-medical mental health professionals.

Type: Thesis (Doctoral)
Qualification: D.Ed.Psy
Title: Heir-apparent or Outsiders? An Exploration into Educational Psychologists' Sensemaking of their Role in Mental Health
Event: UCL
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
Language: English
Additional information: Copyright © The Author 2020. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request.
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Psychology and Human Development
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10108676
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