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University Mental Health Day 2023 will be changing date, due to the planned UCU strikes. Originally taking place the week before, the campaign will now be held on Thursday 9th March 2023.
University Mental Health Day is about bringing the higher education community together to start conversations and promote cultural change in student mental health. With strikes taking place throughout the week of 27th February, we want to ensure that all university staff and students get the opportunity to engage in the day fully. We want to make this year bigger and better than ever, and recognise that this wouldn’t be possible if we were to go ahead and run the day as originally planned. At Student Minds we strongly believe in a whole-university approach to mental health and wellbeing. There is no good student mental health without good staff mental health. Universities need to be a healthy place to not only study, but to work, so a whole-university approach is essential for thriving university communities. We hope that by moving the date, we are ensuring staff are able to engage and participate in the day alongside students. We understand the disruption that strikes may be causing to students, particularly following the Covid-19 pandemic. This period may feel like a very stressful time, so now more than ever we need to get the nation talking about university mental health Join us on Thursday 9th March to ensure no student is held back by their mental health! Are you a student being impacted by the strike action? It’s okay to be worried about how this may affect you, Student Space is here to support you. Explore our resources and support, as well as our university support search tool to see what support is available at your institution.
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Student Minds receives funding from UPP to explore climate change and student mental health24/1/2023 Student Minds are delighted to announce our new research project exploring the impact of climate change on student mental health and wellbeing, which is being generously supported by the UPP Foundation. The UPP Foundation are ongoing supporters of Student Minds; previous projects they have funded include our Student Living report and the University Mental Health Charter. The findings of our research will be analysed and presented within a policy report, which we expect to launch in Spring 2023.
Climate change and poor student mental health are two of the defining challenges of our era, yet there is minimal research exploring the relationship between these topics. Speaking to our Student Advisory Committee confirmed the responsibility students feel towards climate change and the worry they feel about their futures. “Thinking about climate change makes you hopeless for the future - but feeling hopeful for the future is so integral for good mental health” - Student Advisory Committee Member There is a growing evidence base to suggest that climate change has significant impacts on the mental health and wellbeing of the general population. Despite this, research into the impact of climate change on student mental health, in particular, is scarce. This research will take a mixed-methods approach, drawing on a systematic literature review, semi-structured focus group interviews, and a survey to understand how students think about, feel about, and respond to climate change. We want to say a big thank you to all of those students who have already spoken to us about their views in a number of focus groups. We are also grateful to receive support and feedback from professionals across the health and higher education sectors in the development of this project. Our hope with this report is that it will serve as a foundational piece of work for future researchers, students, policymakers and practitioners to further explore the relationship between climate change and student mental health, while also identifying key recommendations and areas of good practice. Rosie Tressler OBE, Chief Executive Officer of Student Minds, said: “The climate emergency demands an urgent response, so we are delighted to be conducting this timely research, which centres student experiences. Our goal is to provide a strong foundation for future exploration into the relationship between climate change and student mental health. We are delighted to partner once again with the UPP Foundation to deliver this work. We hope the report will serve as a vital resource for all future researchers, policymakers, activists and professionals committed to tackling two of the biggest challenges facing our society today.” Richard Brabner, Director of the UPP Foundation said: “We received an unprecedented number of outstanding applications for our most recent funding round. We chose these brilliant projects as they either help universities address fundamental issues we are facing in society, or provide an innovative approach to supporting disadvantaged students succeed during their studies “We expect that these projects will ignite great practice across the higher education sector and look forward to sharing their outcomes in the months and years ahead” For more information about this research, or any of our other projects and publications at Student Minds, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected]. We are very pleased to learn that the Welsh government will be increasing maintenance funding for students in Wales by 9.4%, working out at an increase of roughly £1,000 per year. This comes alongside an additional £2.3 million fund announced to support student mental health services in Wales.
Student Minds have engaged with Welsh leadership on this issue previously, giving evidence to the Senedd in December about the key issues facing student mental health. Beyond this, we continue to highlight the cost-of-living crisis as one of the foremost challenges facing students; our cost-of-living hub provides our research, signposting, and more for students, professionals, and loved ones alike. We are delighted that the Welsh government is taking our input on board and making meaningful steps to minimise the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on student mental health. There is a proven connection between financial hardship and poor student mental health. Financial hardship is linked with higher rates of depression, anxiety, and substance misuse among students. Students experiencing financial difficulties also report poorer academic outcomes and physical health. Our December 2022 cost-of-living briefing contains more detail. Last week, we responded to the Westminster governments’ announcement that students in England would see a 2.8% increase in maintenance funding in the 2023/24 academic year. Particularly in the context of the cost-of-living crisis, a real-terms cut in maintenance funding creates additional, unnecessary pressure on students. We strongly urge the Westminster government to follow the Welsh government’s example and provide a reasonable, substantial increase in maintenance funding that takes inflation and the cost-of-living crisis into account. Jenny Smith, Policy Manager at Student Minds, said: “We welcome the Welsh government’s decision and think it sets a strong example for how students should be supported, nationwide, throughout the cost-of-living crisis. While work still needs to be done to tackle the root causes of the crisis, such as spiralling energy costs and inflation, this is a step in the right direction and should take some pressure off students in Wales. “Of course, we cannot overstate the fact that students are experiencing real hardship, right now. We hope that this announcement will serve as part of a package of support which will also address the immediate financial difficulties many students are finding themselves in. While the focus is on Wales and rightly so, we also want to spotlight this decision as a far more reasonable, supportive measure than the 2.8% for students in England, and challenge the Westminster government to follow this good example.” If you are struggling with your mental health or wellbeing, Student Space is here to help. Whether it’s your mental health, your studies, money, housing or relationships, we’re here to support you. Are you struggling with the cost of living crisis? Head over to our Cost of Living Hub to find support, resources to help create change and more information about the current climate students are facing. Last week, the National Union of Students (NUS) published a report following an investigation into allegations of antisemitism within the organisation. The report highlights a historic, institutional culture within NUS which has alienated Jewish students and led to them being harassed, abused and dismissed over many years. We are saddened, disappointed, and frustrated to read about the experiences of Jewish students within our higher education community, and recognise that we must all do more to tackle antisemitism.
It is clear from the report that this independent investigation has been thorough and robust, and has sought to understand the nuanced perspectives of students, staff, elected representatives and other stakeholders. We welcome the considered approach taken and the commitment shown to highlighting the reality, scale and impact of this issue. Student Minds would like to express gratitude in particular to the Jewish students and staff who have shared their experiences openly and bravely during this investigation, in order to create change. The report highlights that over the years, NUS has on numerous occasions had the opportunity to take the issue of antisemitism seriously and to take action in tackling it. It is frustrating to see that on each occasion, NUS failed to do this effectively. This has resulted in further harm for Jewish students, who have not been adequately supported or represented in the face of discrimination. While saddened to read these experiences, we welcome them being brought to light and considered recommendations being given to the NUS. The recommendations and action plan set out in the report and accompanying documents are a welcome step in ensuring NUS, and the sector more widely, become inclusive, welcoming spaces for Jewish students. We do however also recognise that each recommendation and action requires long-term commitment, learning, resource and support in order for the necessary cultural change to be achieved. Student Minds will continuously reflect on the progress being made and consider our own role, responsibility and influence in supporting this. Student Minds unequivocally condemns antisemitism in all of its forms and recognises the role that all organisations have in challenging it. We know that recognising and tackling antisemitism isn’t just the responsibility of NUS, but the higher education sector as a whole. This includes our own organisation. We will continue to work actively to become an anti-racist organisation, including furthering our work to better understand the experiences of Jewish students and how we can help to tackle antisemitism. There is a lot to be learned from this report, and we hope that our colleagues in universities and students’ unions will join us in working together to listen to Jewish students and take a whole-sector approach in tackling antisemitism in our communities. We look forward to seeing change in our sector and improvements in the experiences of Jewish students. Support for Jewish students The Union of Jewish Students (UJS) represents and supports Jewish students across the country. Explore the work that they do and their resources on their website. Jewish students can also access direct, tailored support with Jami through a variety of different methods. Find out more about their services. Student Space is here to help students through the challenges of university life. Use our University Support Search tool to see what services are available at your university. Yesterday, the government announced details of the financial support available to higher education students in the 2023/24 academic year. Despite the ongoing cost of living crisis, high rates of inflation, and increased reports of students experiencing financial hardship, the maximum student maintenance loan will increase by just 2.8%. The same increase will also apply to maximum Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA), grants for student parents and carers, and some postgraduate loans. These changes are on top of the real-term cuts made in 2022/23, which have not been addressed in this announcement, and which saw financial support for students reach a seven-year low.
This is simply not enough. The risks to students’ mental health are clear. The current economic situation is already resulting in students making difficult decisions to support themselves financially, including skipping meals, missing lectures, taking out new debt, and/or engaging in precarious or risky behaviours to earn money. Our latest research, conducted in November 2022, shows that 83 percent of students were concerned about the current cost of living crisis, and 60 percent said their wellbeing was negatively impacted by their financial situation. As reported by the Russell Group, this 2.8% increase means that undergraduate students will lose out on £1500 due to the inaccurate inflation forecasts used to calculate maintenance loans over the past two years. As these errors have not been addressed by the government in this announcement, cuts to support have become ‘baked in’, meaning that future students will also face the impacts of these cuts. The government has also announced an additional £15 million in funding for universities to provide hardship support to students struggling with their finances. However, that £15m, or around £5 per current student, is not enough to provide the support needed by students up and down the country. The relationship between financial wellbeing and mental health is well-evidenced. The government must revise this decision and act now to provide adequate support for university students, by ensuring maintenance loans are increased in-line with actual inflation rates since 2020/21. Without this support, students will continue to face financial hardship, with their mental health, physical health and academic success all at a heightened risk. We also support calls from other organisations in our sector for a review of the current maintenance loans system, to protect students in the future. This includes ensuring future loan amounts are in-line with actual, rather than forecasted, inflation; revising the parental earnings threshold; and considering the re-introduction of maintenance grants. Are you struggling with the cost of living crisis? Head over to our Cost of Living Hub to find support, resources to help create change and more information about the current climate students are facing. |
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August 2024
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