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0 By Zora Syed
Finally, the chance to be independent, meet amazing new people, and shape your future.
University is such an exciting time, right? Well yes, and no.
It is exciting in some ways. Unfortunately, struggling with mental health is also a part of the university experience for many. That isn’t to say that it can’t be a valuable experience. However, clearly if mental health at university is not addressed properly, the issue will not just resolve itself.
Speaking as a student
I want to talk about student mental health because I believe that it is a serious concern that needs more focus. The sad reality is that student mental health problems are on the rise. The stress and changes of university can trigger preexisting mental health issues, or even create new ones. The age of most students is also a vulnerable time for a lot of mental health issues to develop. As a result, many students are distressed, suffering, and some are even taking their lives.
Furthermore, due to its upsurge, universities simply do not have the resources to cope with such increasing demands. So, it just becomes even more problematic than it already was to begin with!
Don’t get me wrong, it does seem that mental health is getting more attention at last. There is less stigma from the general public, more focus around workplace well-being, and more media coverage. This is truly wonderful. But honestly, this isn’t quite enough on its own for a transformation.
Research is important
This is where research comes in!
Research is important in mental health. This is because it means that there can be changes in our understanding of mental health and the ways in which it is addressed.
Put simply, research can help identify what needs to be done, so that we can do it.
Did you know that only 5.8% of the total money invested into UK health research is spent on mental health? This seriously needs to change.
I don’t think we have to sit back and let these problems persist though.
Through research, raising awareness and working together, there’s always a way to improve things. To deal with the issue of student mental health, we need to identify precisely what it is that needs to be done.
Collaborating for better mental health
For this reason, I have decided to collaborate with Student Minds for my dissertation project at King’s College London. Student Minds is a charity dedicated to improving mental health for students.
The project is called ‘Student Mental Health, the Role and Experience of Academics’.
The aim of the project is to build on findings from a report published by Student Minds in 2018. This work has explored how academics in UK universities are coping with student mental health. The findings highlighted a great need for a culture shift in terms of support structures that are implemented both for academics and students. Also, it outlines how this needs to be done in order to improve well-being for both.
Key areas for improvement arose such as the need for better training. Also, better support and better guidance regarding where academics should signpost students that disclose their mental health.
Working towards solutions
This current research project aims to expand on these findings, so that we can gain more insight into this issue. Eventually we can start to make steps towards a solution.
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But we need help.
We need as many UK university academics to take part in an anonymous survey as possible. The more people that take part, the more we can work towards solutions!
If you want to see positive improvements in student mental health, please spread the word, or take part if eligible.
Students do not have to continue to suffer in this way. Academics do not have to feel lost or distressed as a result of this.
If interested in the research, please click on the following link below for more information on the study and details on how to take part:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/calling-all-university-academics-zora-syed/
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