Instructors Retrain as Mobile Therapists
Learner driver insurer Veygo launches mental health training programme as 86% of learners turn to their instructors to seek help
UK learner drivers are approaching their instructors for help and advice as mental health rates for young people in the UK soar. The NHS has reported a rise of almost a fifth in university students being referred to mental health services. Instructors will receive tailored training to help them recognise signs of vulnerability, initiate conversations about mental health, and signpost to support.
Veygo, a learner driver insurance provider, has offered a solution after seeing the challenges faced by young people wanting to drive, and especially how mental health affects this. A survey was carried out and found that 86% of students open-up about mental health problems during driving lessons.
(C) Veygo
As a result of this, Veygo has launched the ‘Therapy Seat’ programme which will see instructors receive tailored training to help them recognise signs of vulnerability, initiate conversations about mental health, and signpost to support.
What local instructors think of the ‘Therapy Seat’ programme
Chris Booth, an instructor from CRB Driving school has signed up to the programme and said ‘my students tend to open up to me about family issues and I try to support them wherever I can… this training would give me the tools I need to help others and prevent them from making rash decisions’.
Joe McGrogy (Learn with Joe Driving School) says ‘I believe the course will help me recognise the signs to look out for… I have some students who have inadvertently told me they have Autism or Asperger’s but hid it because their parents still maintain a stigma around it”.
A Driving Student’s Story:
Fatima Khan, a student from Birmingham, details her experience learning how to drive.
“I remember when I started my driving lessons and how much time I spent with my instructor. We both got on really well from the start and I immediately felt comfortable with her… she created this open space from the start which helped me share my feelings during my lessons’.
Fatima’s instructor was not trained in mental health awareness but promoted an open conversation to relieve any stresses Fatima had whilst driving, or anything else that was bothering her.
“If it wasn’t for those conversations with my instructor, I don’t know who I would have turned to…I’m not really one to open up about my feelings but immediately felt comfortable doing so whilst I was on my lessons” Fatima says.
Sabina Alvi of ‘Ladies1st Driving School’, taught Fatima how to drive, and was overcome with emotion knowing she left a positive impact on her.
“For me, that’s just the icing on the cake… to be able to carry out my job as well as be a support figure for my clients – what a personal achievement it is” Alvi says.
“I get many Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Indian students join my driving school. In the South Asian culture, mental health is still a taboo subject. Many of these young adults hide their true emotions at home as they’re seen as the domestically successful women that do everything and can never feel sad or lonely – they’re forced to think that with a kitchen full of jobs to do, how can one feel useless?’.
The hard-hitting statement is a harsh reality for many South Asian girls. Precious time away from the house with people like Sabina, give these women a chance to truly say how they’re feeling.
A driver’s licence may be the first step to mental; clarity for many students. Neil Shah, director of The Stress Management Society says that ‘driving can be a really good way to de-stress and unwind’.
‘When stressed, our higher brain functions shut down. Driving to and from work or university will not require higher brain functions most of the time as it is a known route and familiar traffic condition. This can help clear and re-energise your mind’.
Students have used Twitter to share just how much driving relieves their stress and worries:
In response to the positive response to the launch of ‘therapy seat’, Veygo has said ‘the response we’ve had to our Therapy Seat programme from both instructors and learners so far is overwhelming.
“With referrals increasing and learners spending so much time with their instructors – sometimes more than their friends and family – we want to ensure they are well-equipped to spot the signs of students who are struggling”.