‘It would be very strange to make an artificial cut off point at 18 that trauma suddenly isn’t relevant’ – Perspectives of trauma-informed practice in higher education

Student mental health in the United Kingdom (UK) remains as key priority on the agenda of many Higher Education (HE) institutions. Current mandatory education in the UK provides guidance around supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people, acknowledging that much of the origins of psychological distress and mental illness stems from experiences of trauma. Despite this, trauma-informed practice in HE appears out of sync with mandatory education with no clear national guidance. Therefore, it is of interest to explore HE professionals with teaching responsibilities perspectives of trauma-informed practice in universities, including their awareness of the concept and how applicable and appropriate it is for HE pedagogic practice. The study examines the views of HE professionals from English universities through online or face to face interviews. Seven themes were identified following thematic analysis. These themes represented the recurring discussions, concerns and thoughts outlined by HE professionals in relation to how they perceive trauma informed practice, how or indeed if it is currently applied, and how it can be applied given the concerns about the remit and role of staff and the limitations of HE in UK universities.