Supporting student mental health

[Sophforthe100]

I'm a very long standing Mumsnetter who has changed my name to support this important campaign and I hope you will too. Universities should have a legal duty of care towards their students. This would mean consistent support systems across the Higher Education sector and clarity for both students and providers about what to expect. This could save some of the 100 lives lost to suicide each year, and lead to better mental health support across the board. Please read more here and sign the petition so we can get this debated in parliament: #ForThe100

[cassiatwenty]

Thank you for this @Sophforthe100 xx

[bellac11]

Why have you started a new thread OP instead of carrying on with the original one?

Its not a popular idea and you werent able to really explain what you thought would be different under a 'duty of care'.

[OntarioBagnet]

Do universities not already all provide wellbeing centres, counselling services, etc?

can you be clearer about what you think is needed?

[Sophforthe100]

Bellac my first thread was to raise awareness of the vigils which took place at the weekend. It's no longer relevant. You have made it clear you disagree with the campaign, and you do not have to sign the petition. Others can make up their own minds.

[OntarioBagnet]

www.ed.ac.uk/student-counselling/services/same-day-appointments

seeing as Edinburgh has been mentioned I had a look. They offer ongoing counselling as well as same day emergency appts. Bcap accredited professionals. Plus lots more in the advice centre for advice on academic issues, housing, harassment, etc.

a better service than the nhs provides.

[Sophforthe100]

Ontario there is no standard - what universities offer varies hugely. Some are obviously better than others. Most University staff do fantastic work, but we would like to see better processes put in place across the board and consistency across the sector.

[Sophforthe100]

Funny you should mention Edinburgh, Ontario. DS is there. He has had mental health issues which were not resolved. When I told him to go back and ask for more help he was told he was only allowed one visit per academic year.

[cassiatwenty]

Ontario just wondering if that has anything to do with that term lipservice

I suppose a better solution would be for us to be all quiet about this if our ideas aren't refined and let this kind of thing happen to 15 people. How dare we ask for better Pastoral Care without knowing precisely what's needed?

Ontario, if you work in uni please feel free to suggest an idea or two

Just getting the word out is good for start, this kind of thing does happen indeed, and people are quiet about it because if it's a prestigious uni then surely it's the student fault. Tut tut at victim blaming

TSR has threads and threads of RL experience how students went down the drain after attending Edinburgh. Going to a prestigious/competitive uni such as LSE/Edinburgh doesn't mean you'll end up with a good support system. Sometimes just the opposite cos the students are so competitive.

@Sophforthe100 thank you for doing this, if it's even one person that goes through this hell and their family, it's too much.

[cassiatwenty]

Morwenna Jones wrote an article (The Guardian) How Cambridge University almost killed me

OP

Universities should have a legal duty of care towards their students. This would mean consistent support systems across the Higher Education sector and clarity for both students and providers about what to expect.

bellac11

Hmmm, not really a popular idea now 😑

[titchy]

The problem is that universities are not the NHS. Mental health treatment needs to be provided by qualified medical practitioners. Often all a uni can do is signpost. If the NHS waiting lists for help is months long, what can unis actually do? Counsellors are great and have their place, but they cannot treat more serious conditions.

[PinkFrogss]

What happens when students who need ongoing, sometimes intense, mental health support from their university graduate?

Surely it would be better to campaign for better funding of NHS services, as this will catch all young people, including university students, and will mean what is fundamental healthcare isn’t realising on being at university.

[cassiatwenty]

It's 9 k per year, fees alone, 1 person

Astounding how some of that money doesn't help with student support, why such fees then, to help King's invest in their buildings?

[titchy]

@cassiatwenty

It's 9 k per year, fees alone, 1 person

Astounding how some of that money doesn't help with student support, why such fees then, to help King's invest in their buildings?

Any idea how much engineering labs or electron microscopes cost? Building costs, computing facilities, teaching and support staff, stocking libraries. The fees don't cover all the costs. Look at the fees overseas students pay to get an idea of the actual cost of provision. Unis cannot afford more staff than they have.

More counselling staff would be great - but your dc would have fewer contact hours or less library resources to fund that. We really are on the bones of our arse financially.

[cassiatwenty]

@titchy

Any idea how much engineering labs or electron microscopes cost? Building costs, computing facilities, teaching and support staff, stocking libraries. The fees don't cover all the costs. Look at the fees overseas students pay to get an idea of the actual cost of provision. Unis cannot afford more staff than they have.

More counselling staff would be great - but your dc would have fewer contact hours or less library resources to fund that. We really are on the bones of our arse financially.

DC is me. I'd rather make it out alive (and make contacts with staff, tutors and make new friends) rather than have amazing engineering labs, but that's just me

[PinkFrogss]

@cassiatwenty

DC is me. I'd rather make it out alive (and make contacts with staff, tutors and make new friends) rather than have amazing engineering labs, but that's just me

But it’s not the job of the university to ensure that. They’re job is to ensure people are educated to a degree standard.

Mental health support should come from the NHS. Would you expect a university to provide healthcare physical health conditions as well?

[cassiatwenty]

This is for those uni's struggling such as Oxbridge and Edinburgh, I couldn't find a smaller violin, although I tried

Obviously, funding facilities -- more important than students taking their own lives. If they take their own lives, it's surely an ongoing problem, not uni's problem or stress, or binge drinking. Let every man and woman fend for themselves.

In fact, no fees to support students at all, I'm thinking Hunger Games Uni really builds your character and resilience.

[cassiatwenty]

@PinkFrogss

But it’s not the job of the university to ensure that. They’re job is to ensure people are educated to a degree standard.

Mental health support should come from the NHS. Would you expect a university to provide healthcare physical health conditions as well?

Their*

[Sophforthe100]

Here's the experience of one family who's DD took her own life at Edinburgh.

www.channel4.com/news/for-the-100-vigils-held-for-students-taking-their-own-lives-at-university

[cassiatwenty]

University's job is not only education but also upbringing and nurture seeing students spend their formative years there. Nurture doesn't happen in pubs or outside lecture halls weirdly.

[Sophforthe100]

As I said on my other thread, employers have a legal duty of care to their employees. You could say that's 'not their job'. We are just asking that students get the same statutory duty of care.

[PinkFrogss]

Okay so a student struggles with their mental health at uni due to workload pressures and stress. They feel suicidal and are high risk. They access university mental health services, and this reduces their risk.

They then graduate and enter employment. They struggle with their health at work due to workload pressures and stress. They feel suicidal and are high risk.
….Now what?

Im not saying it has to be either or, but I do think it makes more sense to put pressure on the government to properly fund mental health services as this will help students AND everyone else struggling. Mental health support at universities is great and also needed to some extent, but universities shouldn’t take the place of a healthcare system.

I can’t think of many other places that would be expected to provide healthcare to those at high risk of suicide, no workplace wellbeing service would take responsibility for that, or school counsellor. So why is it specifically on universities?

[PinkFrogss]

Hopefully my spelling and grammar was good enough for you there cassia but do let me know if not

[Switchwitch]

@Sophforthe100

Funny you should mention Edinburgh, Ontario. DS is there. He has had mental health issues which were not resolved. When I told him to go back and ask for more help he was told he was only allowed one visit per academic year.

I'm an academic, not at Edinburgh, but I've worked at several different institutions and none of them have had a one visit policy.

In terms of the £9k fees, my faculty loses £3600 for every home student. The losses are covered by philanthropic donations and overseas students.

[Sophforthe100]

They then graduate and enter employment. They struggle with their health at work due to workload pressures and stress. They feel suicidal and are high risk.
….Now what?

Their employer has a legal duty of care to them. Students do not have this.