Today, we are celebrating one year since we launched the report ‘University Mental Health: Life in a Pandemic’. The report explored students’ experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic and considered all aspects of students' lives; their living arrangements, academic experience, social connectedness, access to support and mental wellbeing. A reminder of our key findings:
Reflecting on the year since, we recognise that lots has changed. We have seen the removal of all restrictions related to Covid, a widespread return to on-campus teaching and learning, and growing uncertainty in other areas such as the cost of living crisis. Whilst some of the challenges we saw in 2020/2021 have been mitigated, others have been exacerbated and students continue to be disproportionately impacted. In August 2021, we made a series of recommendations which we hoped would help to ensure students received increased support for their mental health and wellbeing. Whilst reviewing these recommendations alongside our more recent research findings, we have identified three key areas where students continue to need additional support: finances, social connectedness, and challenging transitions. We are therefore now recommending that the Government:
In addition, we are recommending that universities and students’ unions:
Our hope is that, with this additional support, students can enjoy their university experience without facing the additional stressors of financial hardship, loneliness, uncertainty and a lack of belonging. Without this support, we know that students’ experiences will suffer and their mental health will be at risk.
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Mae Student Space yma i aros gyda chyllid tair blynedd i gefnogi myfyrwyr i ymdopi ag ansicrwydd bywyd prifysgol.
Mae’n bleser gennym rannu ein bod wedi derbyn ymrwymiad ariannu tair blynedd o £262,500 y flwyddyn gan Office for Students a Chyngor Cyllido Addysg Uwch Cymru i ymestyn darpariaeth ein hadnodd cymorth ar-lein, Student Space. Daw ein cyhoeddiad ariannu wrth i adroddiad diweddar gan y Sefydliad Polisi Addysg Uwch (HEPI) ddatgan bod iechyd meddwl myfyrwyr yn dal i fod yn ‘her sylweddol’ a bod tua thraean o fyfyrwyr sy’n ystyried gadael prifysgol yn nodi iechyd emosiynol neu feddyliol fel y prif reswm. Mae Student Space, a lansiwyd yn Awst 2020 fel ymateb i effaith y pandemig ar fyfyrwyr y DU, yn darparu cymorth ar-lein arbenigol a chyngor lles i fyfyrwyr sydd efallai'n teimlo'n bryderus am eu hastudiaethau, am berthnasoedd neu am unrhyw agwedd o fywyd prifysgol. Rydym yn ddiolchgar am y cyllid ychwanegol i’n galluogi ni i newid y cymorth o fod yn ymateb i Covid-19 i fod yn lle hanfodol i fyfyrwyr fynd i’w cefnogi trwy ansicrwydd bywyd fel myfyriwr. Wedi’i ddatblygu mewn cydweithrediad â myfyrwyr, darparwyr gwasanaethau, gweithwyr addysg uwch proffesiynol ac ymchwilwyr, mae Student Space ar hyn o bryd yn cynnwys nifer o elfennau cymorth gan gynnwys cyngor a gwybodaeth, straeon myfyrwyr, gwasanaethau cymorth uniongyrchol (o linellau ffôn i negeseuon testun i wasanaethau cefnogi cyfoedion) a chyfeirio at wasanaethau prifysgol ac undeb myfyrwyr. Hefyd, i gydnabod y ffaith y gall problemau iechyd meddwl effeithio ar grwpiau o fyfyrwyr mewn gwahanol ffyrdd, mae cefnogaeth wedi'i theilwra wedi’i chreu hefyd. Hyd yn hyn, mae cannoedd o fyfyrwyr wedi defnyddio Student Space, ac mae grwpiau ffocws a gynhaliwyd gan y Ganolfan ar gyfer Iechyd Meddwl wedi canfod bod myfyrwyr yn ystyried y cynnwys fel cynnwys ‘defnyddiol iawn’, ‘cyfoes’ a ‘dilys’. Dywedodd Rosie Tressler, Prif Swyddog Gweithredol Student Minds: “Drwy Student Space rydyn ni wedi cyrraedd mwy na 300,000 o bobl hyd yma gan ddarparu cefnogaeth iechyd meddwl ddigidol a theilwredig. Mae'n glir o ymchwil diweddar i iechyd meddwl a lles myfyrwyr bod y pandemig wedi tynnu sylw at angen brys a phenodol am fwy o gymorth gydag iechyd meddwl i fyfyrwyr. Er hyn mae myfyrwyr yn parhau i gael anawsterau, gyda llawer yn teimlo'n unig a thua thraean yn ystyried gadael y brifysgol yn gyfan gwbl. Rydym yn croesawu'r cymorth parhaus gan yr Adran Addysg a Llywodraeth Cymru. Rydym yn parhau i fod ag uchelgais i wella ein gwasanaethau, gan dderbyn cyllid i sicrhau bod Student Space yn parhau i gyrraedd anghenion amrywiol y boblogaeth o fyfyrwyr Gobeithiwn y byddwch yn ymuno â ni i ddathlu'r newyddion gwych hwn. Edrychwn ymlaen at gefnogi mwy o fyfyrwyr trwy Student Space yn ystod y blynyddoedd sydd i ddod. Os oes gennych chi unrhyw gwestiynau neu unrhyw adlewyrchu i’w rannu, e-bostiwch [email protected]. Student Space is here to stay with three-year funding to support students to navigate the uncertainty of university life. We are delighted to share that we have received a three-year funding commitment of £262,500 per year from the Office for Students and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales to extend the provision of our online support resource, Student Space. Our funding announcement comes as a recent report from the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) states that student mental health is still a ‘significant challenge’ and that around a third of students considering leaving university cite emotional or mental health as the main reason. Student Space, which we initially launched in August 2020 in response to the impact of the pandemic on UK students, provides a range of expert online support and wellbeing advice for students who may be feeling concerned about their studies, relationships or any aspects of university life. We are grateful for the additional funding to enable our plans to move the support from being a Covid-19 response to it being a vital place for students to go to support them through the uncertainty of student life. Developed in collaboration with students, service providers, higher education professionals and researchers, Student Space currently comprises several support elements including advice and information, student stories, direct support services (from phone lines to text to peer support services) and signposting to university and students’ union services. Plus, in recognition of the fact that mental health problems can impact groups of students in different ways, a range of tailored support has also been created. To date, hundreds of thousands of students have accessed Student Space, and focus groups conducted by Centre for Mental Health found that students considered the content ‘really helpful’, ‘current’ and ‘authentic.’ Rosie Tressler, CEO, Student Minds, said: "Through Student Space we’ve reached over 300,000 people to date providing digital and tailored mental health support. It’s clear from recent research into student mental health and wellbeing that, although the pandemic highlighted an urgent and specific need for increased student mental health support, students are continuing to struggle, with many feeling lonely and around a third considering leaving university altogether. We welcome this ongoing support from the Department for Education and the Welsh Government. We continue to have ambitions to improve our service offer, acquiring funding to ensure that Student Space continues to reach the diverse needs of the student population.” We hope you will join us in celebrating this fantastic news. We look forward to supporting more students through Student Space over the years to come. If you have any questions or reflections please email [email protected]. |
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November 2024
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