Exploring barriers to helping students in psychological distress in a post-secondary environment using perceptual control theory and forum theatre

Increasing rates of psychological distress among post-secondary students have prompted growing attention to the role of faculty members in supporting student mental health. While previous research has identified barriers such as stigma, uncertainty, and limited mental health knowledge, less is known about how faculty experience and navigate these challenges within their day-to-day academic roles. This study explored the barriers faculty members face when responding to students experiencing psychological distress and examined the beliefs, goals, and conflicts that shape their helping behaviours. Using a qualitative, two-phase research design at the University of British Columbia, the study combined semi-structured interviews with Forum Theatre, a participatory method that allows participants to explore and test alternative responses to challenging situations. Interview data were analyzed thematically to identify key barriers and inform the development of an original Forum Theatre performance. Perceptual Control Theory (PCT) was used as a theoretical framework to examine the competing goals and controlled perceptions influencing faculty decision-making throughout both phases of the research. Findings suggest that faculty experiences extend beyond commonly identified barriers such as knowledge gaps and uncertainty. Participants described navigating complex tensions between supporting students, maintaining professional boundaries, meeting institutional expectations, and preserving academic standards. These competing demands created forms of conflict that were often structural and relational rather than individual. Forum Theatre provided opportunities for participants to explore these tensions in action, revealing assumptions, constraints, and alternative approaches that may not emerge through interviews alone. PCT further illuminated how faculty behaviours reflected attempts to reconcile multiple goals simultaneously. This study argues that responding to student distress is embedded within broader institutional and interpersonal contexts that shape both opportunities and constraints for helping. By integrating Forum Theatre and Perceptual Control Theory, the research contributes a novel interdisciplinary approach to understanding care, responsibility, and conflict in higher education and offers insights for the development of more supportive institutional environments for both students and faculty.