Open Access

Creating A Culture of Care: Training Student Leaders to Recognize Distress and Respond Effectively

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Karina Assanova ¹ ,

⁴ Savannah College of Art and Design, Community Director Georgia, Savannah

Abstract

The study is devoted to a critical examination of the escalating crisis of students' psychological well-being in higher education and articulates a comprehensive conceptual framework for the institutionalization of a culture of care. The purpose of the article is to identify theoretical and practical foundations for constructing such a culture through the systematic training of student leaders, in which proactive support models are integrated with programs for developing competencies in recognizing signs of psychological distress. Methodologically, the study draws on a systematic review of academic sources on student well-being, organizational culture, and support mechanisms, as well as on an instrumental case analysis based on the innovative practices of Nova Southeastern University, including the Model of Mindful Interactions. The findings confirm the limitations of traditional reactive approaches to supporting students. The proposed integrative scheme combines a personalized, preventive structure of interactions with targeted training of student leaders in formats such as Mental Health First Aid (MHFA). It is concluded that the combination of a proactive support architecture and well-developed leader skills ensures earlier detection of distress, promotes the strengthening of well-being, and improves student retention rates. The article is addressed to university administrators, student affairs professionals, and researchers focused on the design and implementation of systemic mechanisms for supporting the student population.

Keywords

culture of care, psychological well-being of students, student leaders, proactive support, distress recognition, mindful interactions, student retention, higher education, Mental Health First Aid, global citizenship

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Abstract

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