6 Holding non-judgemental conversations

Educators are decision makers. For example, when assessing learners’ work, when adapting teaching and learning methods to be more inclusive and responsive to learners’ needs, or when planning curriculum and tuition approaches. Judgements are intrinsically bound within these types of decisions in order to cultivate the best outcomes for learners. Transitioning judgements into non-judgemental conversations requires self-awareness of the unconscious biases inherent within us all and which are integral to human cognition. Unconscious bias occurs when the judgements we make are informed by our personal experiences, preferences and assumptions (The University of Edinburgh, 2020). A risk of unconscious bias when communicating with learners about their mental health needs is that you may be disproportionately concerned, or similarly be unduly dismissive. This may result in stereotyping or discrimination and the learner being reticent to continue to discuss their needs. Consequently, learners may not access support.

Reflecting on personal unconscious bias, you need to consider how societal expectations and cultures influence the ways in which you may unconsciously judge learners. For example, there have been, and continue to be, significant differences in the ways in which gender influences our conversations about mental health. Luke, a Young Minds activist, tweeted about this (Young Minds, 2022).

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A social media post: ‘There’s often an expectation that boys and men should be self-reliant and, essentially, emotionless. We’ve all been told to “man up” at some point, maybe we’ve even said it ourselves, and at first it seems like a harmless phrase. But not many people (including myself for a long time) realise the gradual damage this can cause. The words “man up” in context are used to suggest that showing emotions makes you less of a man. But in truth, there is no correlation between gender identity and emotions. We all have emotions, and expressing them isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength.’

As you learned in Section 1, cultural norms influence the ability to start conversations about mental health. Luke highlights how cultural norms about gender are translated into gendered language and phrases and explains the associated negative impact on male mental health. He rationalises how language can convey judgement by the listener, even if this is not consciously done. This can further distance men from seeking support and this is concerning because men are far less likely to disclose mental health challenges than females. Data from the most recent national survey of the mental health of the general population in England, carried out in 2014, reported that only 9% of men are likely to seek support for mental health conditions, compared to 15% of women (McManus et al., 2016). Conscious awareness of potential for gender bias can make a significant difference to conversations with male learners about their mental health and subsequently improve the quality of your professional practice.

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Two men in conversation.

Gender biases are just one example of judgemental bias. You will go on to learn more about this in Week 5 on overcoming stigma and Week 6 on social and cultural dimensions of mental health in learning environments.