Mental health - university choices and applications

[FoffFoffFoff]

I found a thread from last year that I was going to resurrect, but decided better form to start my own.

Dc in y12->13, severe anxiety and some depression. Quite young for age (not going to take a year out, that would make the anxiety worse). Social anxiety also.

Assume campus universities better suited than city universities? Dc aiming for RG-type universities.

Please share the names of any universities that your DC with MH issues have found good. Any to avoid?

Preferably in England as don't want DC to be too far away and not be able to easily reach/return if there is a crisis.

Previous thread I read also said to declare these MH issues on UCAS form - will that limit their acceptances to course directors with supportive attitudes? Guess better to rule out unsupportive courses, but would rather know in advance so as not to waste a choice.

Most open days currently online so can't just wander up and ask.

Course leaders cannot withold offers because of mental health issues in applicants.

Sounds like you are doing a lot of the right things but as a program leader, I can tell you a huge number of my students have anxiety and other mental health issues. They're sadly definitely not a rarity. Your DC will get a personal tutor but they won't realistically get extra time from tutors. It just isn't there. Personal tutors are there to signpost other support when needed and advise academically. I'd say if you can meet tutors on open days that might help your DC. Usually you click with somewhere.

Definitely look at somewhere near but not too near home.

Never considered disability support allowance.
We currently qualify for zero benefits and Dc will get no grant.
Is this DSA based on Dc's earnings (they may well have a job) or parent's?

It's not one of the MN beloved RG ones - but I've had really good mental health support from De Montfort Uni - both the disability (and autism - I'm waiting for a diagnosis) support team(s) and my department and faculty. I've had the course structure of my modules tweaked to spread workload out when it became clear I was really struggling, I've got the flexibility of an offer to do the same again this year if I need to. I've had a set of counselling sessions via the university which were really helpful and I've got mental health mentor support in place for this year coming up (I hit crisis point last year after the schools closed for the second time) ready.

You could check out the uni's websites to see what support is available for mental health conditions. Some uni's have special funding/schemes to support and will put details of those in their access plans.

Speaking to student support about any reasonable adjustments would be advisable too.

I would definitely say that having the ability to just escape for a night or an afternoon would have really helped my dc . We were too far away and had the rather old fashioned idea that everyone stayed at the weekends which seems to be much less common now. Dc was at a well regarded northern RG and after the first couple of weeks half the block disappeared at the weekend to visit boyfriends/girlfriends, one kept her part time job at hone and others just went home. When I was at university this was unheard of .

Being able to come up for air may be the difference between getting through the term and not . If I had had my time again I would say be absolutely honest with yourself about the challenges your dc is likely to face and think hard about how they will cope and what would genuinely help them .

www.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowance-dsa

You apply at the same time as student finance

DS has a learning disability and we've just been through the DSA applications and registering with the uni disability/wellness department.

Mental health is such a big issue for young people right now that nearly all unis will have a dedicated department for you to contact. The trick is then to find out how good they are at providing actual support!

Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) is not means tested, however it does require medical evidence (see website for what's acceptable) and/or professional assessment reports for e.g. learning difficulties. If granted, it could fund 1to1 weekly support sessions for your DD which might help her talk through/plan anything which is causing her particular anxiety.

Does she have a medical diagnosis of anxiety/ depression?

A friend of mine's DD had anxiety problems/ eating disorders etc and got exceptionally good support at Sussex Uni.

With more courses doing a blended approach eg lectures online it might be that your student can commute half the week? So come home at weekends? It will depend how their course works. But some only need to be on campus say 3 days so this might help your student

So glad I asked. Really you don't know what you don't know.
Yes, Dc has a diagnosis, plenty of history with CAMHS unfortunately.

Grants no longer exist for English students, it is all loan, just varying amounts. Disabled Students Allowance isn't means tested.

University disability services are natural progression of the SEN department at school/sixth form.

Seriously consider staying at home. My dc has autism and anxiety, living at home made life easier and had excellent support (unfortunately covid hit and she couldn't cope so dropped out) not Russell group though. Avoid Warwick, I know three who have dropped out due to complete lack of support for preexisting mental health issues

And you need to empower your dc to advocate for themselves, the university will not be discussing their needs with you. I mean this with the best intentions but if you need to pick up the phone then a gap year or two might be a far better option. My dc worked for a year between school and university

Useful thread. My dc not looking at RG campus style universities. Like John Moore's, Brighton, Bournemouth and Oxford Brookes. Can anyone recommend any of these types of universities?

Leicester is good for pastoral support, it's also a cheap city so getting a bedsit is an option rather than shared facilities

This may not be others' experience, but I would be wary of Durham. Very hit and miss support. Some were excellent (one college pastoral worker in particular), but falling through the gaps was all too easy. And their fondness for 'Let's get the department staff, pastoral support, personal tutor, spare tutor, maternity cover, head of SEN and their dog* together in one vast panel-style support meeting!' practically had our nervous, socially anxious student running for cover.

*Actually, the dog was lovely.

@gogohm

And you need to empower your dc to advocate for themselves, the university will not be discussing their needs with you. I mean this with the best intentions but if you need to pick up the phone then a gap year or two might be a far better option. My dc worked for a year between school and university

Just to pick up on this. It's true in general, but a student can authorise staff to speak to parents. I'd recommend it if your daughter would be happy for that to happen.

Came on to post about DSA, I started a thread earlier in the year about it for my kid who will be going to university at the end of the month. Got some great advice www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/4263501-DSA-application

It's not means tested, but as PP said you do need evidence of some kind, so some kind of diagnosis presumably. The assessor was super helpful and the process was really thorough and my kid found it really useful, and not at all intimidating (talking to strangers on the phone is not their favourite thing).

So far, my kid's experience of Bath University and their disability dept has been excellent, fingers crossed that it continues that way.

And as gogohm says, once they're 18 and at university, the university will not be allowed to discuss the student's details with you. So best to train them up gently to deal with these issues themselves.

If the student gives permission to the university, would the university be allowed to discuss details with the parents, I wonder? There have been cases in the news over the last few years about students' mental health and how parents were not kept in the loop with treatment (or lack of).

If DC consent the university can liaise with parents. Many DC with additional needs need parental involvement.

@SpaceBethSmith

Pastoral at University of Nottingham is shocking and almost non existent, despite what they claim - experiences of multiple people that I know.

Nottingham Trent, on the other hand, is well known for excellent pastoral support. And is higher in the rankings than the cities RG Uni.

Sorry you had a bad experience at Nottingham. My best friend's son has very positive things tk say about pastoral care and disability services there.

Have a look at Keele. It's a smaller than average uni on a lovely spacious green campus. Having looked around it seemed the students were well know to teaching staff and therefore less likely to fall through the cracks than at a big city university

I have heard good reports about York St John and also Canterbury Christchurch

Great Thread to join. Dd struggling with anxiety and eating but looking for a RG uni for next year.

Problem is it will vary a lot between courses at the same uni as pastoral support tends to come in the first place/mainly from personal tutor and other staff on the course. Yes the uni is likely to have some form of well being centre and can offer general counselling, etc but how supportive they are in regards to if the course is being affected will depend a lot on the course staff.

Thanks to all for the helpful advice re. DSA and your good/bad experiences with various universities.

Several of those mentioned are in consideration so very useful to hear these experiences (those institutions with newer university status seem to be coming out better than the established universities).

Welcome to those joined with similar issues to contend with and consider -feel free to post your own questions. So nice that there are people out there with experience and advice.

@Peaseblossum22 thanks for the information about how things have changed since our day. Very few went home then, but children do seem to be closer to their parents these days.

Sorry, not "nice" fgs, obviously every person with experience to offer has been through a dreadful time, but I mean helpful, reassuring, to those of us dreading sending our mentally unwell DC off into the unknown.