Psychosocial distress and community support : students’ perspectives and the role of social pedagogy

Debenjak, Kristina (author)

Psychosocial distress is a significant challenge for students transitioning to adulthood. The present study explores students’ perspectives on psychosocial distress and the community’s response to it. Using an arts-based research methodology (photovoice), social pedagogy students visually documented representations of distress in their daily lives and commu-nity responses to it. The collected images and narratives were qualitatively analysed through thematic analysis to identify generative themes. The findings highlight the diverse ways in which students experience and interpret distress, revealing the emotional, social and structural factors that influence their wellbeing. A critical aspect of the research is recognising both the importance and challenges of non-formal support systems in mitigating distress. In order to foster meaningful dialogue with youth, social pedagogy should integrate concepts from the pedagogy of the oppressed and the pedagogy of liberation, addressing the individualisation of psychosocial distress and advocating for collective, community-based solutions. This approach is particularly relevant in the context of societal crises and growing uncertainty during the transition to adulthood. The study highlights the potential of arts-based participatory research meth-ods to facilitate dialogue, co-create knowledge and foster intersubjectivity, including within higher education. By amplifying students’ voices, the research contributes to a deeper understanding of students’ perceptions of distress and advocates for community responses that go beyond individualised solutions.

• Language: English
• Keywords: arts-based research, non-formal support networks, photovoice, psychosocial distress, students as emerging adults
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: PEF - Faculty of Education
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 99–120
• Numbering: Vol. 16, no. 3
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-189663
• UDC: 37.013.42:378
• ISSN on article: 2232-2647
• DOI: 10.26529/cepsj.2335
• COBISS.SI-ID: 293662979
• Publication date in RUL: 12.10.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: CEPS Journal : Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal = revija Centra za študij edukacijskih strategij
• Publisher: Pedagoška fakulteta, Univerza v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 2232-2647
• COBISS.SI-ID: 254029824

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Psihosocialne stiske in skupnostna podpora : perspektive študentk in socialnopedagoški razmisleki

Abstract

Psihosocialne stiske predstavljajo pomemben izziv za študentke in študente na prehodu v odraslost. Izsledki te raziskave predstavljajo perspektive študentk o psihosocialnih stiskah in odzivu skupnosti nanje. Z uporabo na umetnosti temelječe raziskovalne metodologije (fotoglas) so študentke socialne pedagogike vizualno dokumentirale reprezentacije stiske v njihovem vsakdanjem življenju in odzive skupnosti nanje. Zbrane fotografije in pripovedi so bile kvalitativno analizirane s tematsko analizo z namenom prepoznavanja generativnih tem. Ugotovitve prikazujejo, kako študentke doživljajo in interpretirajo stiske, ter razkrivajo čustvene, socialne in strukturne dejavnike, ki vplivajo na njihovo dobro počutje. Raziskava kritično prepoznava pomen in tudi izzive neformalnih podpornih sistemov pri blaženju stisk. Za grajenje pristnega dialoga z mladimi mora socialna pedagogika vključevati koncepte pedagogike zatiranih in pedagogike osvoboditve, izvajati individualizacijo psiho-socialne stiske in zagovarjati kolektivne, na skupnosti temelječe rešitve. Tak pristop je še posebej pomemben v kontekstu družbenih kriz in naraščajoče negotovosti mladih na prehodu v odraslost. Raziskava poudarja potencial participativnih, na umetnosti temelječih raziskovalnih metod za grajenje dialoga, soustvarjanje znanja in za krepitev intersubjektivnosti, tudi znotraj visokošolskega izobraževanja. Z osredinjanjem na perspektivo študentk prispeva k poglobljenemu razumevanju njihovega dojemanja stiske in zagovarja odzive skupnosti, ki presegajo individualizirane rešitve.

• Keywords: na umetnosti temelječe raziskovanje, neformalne podporne mreže, fotoglas, psihosocialna stiska, študentke in študenti na prehodu v odraslost, prehod v odraslost, socialna pedagogika