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 policy@studentminds.org.uk. 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. At Student Minds, we are delighted to celebrate the first wave of institutions who put themselves forward for the University Mental Health Charter Award assessments. Pursuing the Award is a statement of a university's commitment to improvement and development of better practice in university mental health.
In Autumn 2019, we published the University Mental Health Charter (UMHC) after a year of development alongside thousands of students and members of staff across the country. With a focus on a whole university approach, the Charter sets out a number of principles of good practice to help universities to prioritise the mental health and wellbeing of their communities. Then in 2020, we launched the University Mental Health Charter Programme, a place for university members to come together, share good practice and receive guidance in applying for the Award. Institutions are able to apply for the Award assessment process at any stage while a member of the programme. To date the majority of universities on the programme are still to start their assessment process. With 60 institutions committing to creating cultural change in this year’s programme, we are excited that a number of these universities have been through the Award process and we are able to announce the first group of universities to achieve Award status. Applications for the Award are assessed by a team of peer assessors with expertise and extensive experience of working and studying in the sector. Each Assessment Team contains qualified clinicians, higher education academics, professionals, and students. The UMHC award assessment is a robust process of evaluation aimed at:
Following the assessment, every university is provided with a detailed report highlighting good and excellent practice and recommending further actions each university can take to continue to improve their whole university approach. Gaining a Charter Award is a recognition of the journey universities have travelled so far, in developing their approach to mental health and wellbeing. We are pleased to announce that the following universities have received the Award this time round:
These awards are a demonstration of genuine commitment, hard work and investment on the part of these universities and the staff and students who have worked together to reach this milestone. They can be rightly proud of their achievements to date. It is important to note that achieving an Award is a symbol of progress, it does not mean that those receiving an Award are perfect, or that every student or member of staff will have good experiences within that institution yet. Those receiving their Award today, are doing so because they have made an ongoing commitment to continual improvement and have been able to demonstrate significant and genuine progress towards a whole university approach, in line with the Charter Framework. To maintain their Awards or to achieve a higher level award, all of these institutions will have to continue to build on this progress. There is work still to be done. There is also still work to be done across the sector. There are two higher levels of Award (merit and distinction), which no university has yet achieved. We look forward to the day when we announce the first universities to gain these levels of award. Congratulations to these institutions. We are proud of everything they have achieved and the hard work they will do to create change and improve the mental health and wellbeing of their student and staff communities. Thank you to everyone who made the assessment process possible. The Charter Programme is gradually ensuring the sector is working with a shared language and understanding of mental health and wellbeing, and towards a shared vision for the future. We hope the courageous example set by our first batch of universities will inspire other institutions to join the Charter Programme next year. In the UK the cost-of-living crisis runs deep in every community and is having a significant impact on mental health.
High levels of inflation affect everyone as the price of necessities including food and energy increase. However, the impact is not felt equally. We know those already experiencing inequality, poverty and hardship are being hardest hit. And poverty is the single biggest driver of poor mental health in children. We also know that people living in the most deprived 10% of areas in the UK are more than twice as likely to die from suicide than those living in the wealthiest 10% of areas. In 2022 the Trussell Trust who provide emergency support to people in crisis issued 1.3 million food parcels between April and September. 94% of people accessing emergency food parcels are experiencing destitution. That means they are well below the poverty line and cannot afford the essentials to eat, stay warm and dry, and keep clean. This should worry us all. It is a shameful and unnecessary situation in the UK. As leaders of mental health organisations there is growing demand for our services. We will, of course, continue to do our absolute best to provide the necessary support. But we want to be crystal clear: the first intervention to reduce mental ill health and prevent suicide is to ensure every household has the means to be safe and warm with enough to eat. We urge the Prime Minister to act with speed and compassion to tackle the root causes of destitution and in doing so prevent suicide and an inevitable rise in mental ill health. Julie Bentley, Samaritans Simon Blake OBE, Mental Health First Aid England Sophie Corlett, Mind Brian Dow, Mental Health UK Sean Duggan OBE, Mental Health Network, NHS Confederation Akiko Hart, National Survivor User Network Victoria Hornby OBE, Mental Health Innovations Dr Sarah Hughes, Centre for Mental Health Poppy Jaman OBE, MindForward Alliance Dr Adrian James, Royal College of Psychiatrists Tom Madders, Young Minds Chris Martin, The Mix Paula Ojok, Helplines Partnership Kathy Roberts, Association of Mental Health Providers Catherine Roche, Place2Be Mark Rowland, Mental Health Foundation Michael Samuel MBE, Anna Freud Centre Rosie Tressler OBE, Student Minds Mark Winstanley, Rethink Mental Illness At Student Minds, we are calling on policymakers to act urgently to support students through the ongoing cost of living crisis. We have approached a range of MPs in government and the opposition; so far, the lack of response from elected officials has been completely inadequate. Students have been forgotten about amongst the political instability, but they are facing the financial and mental health impacts of the crisis right now, and they have been for months. We are joining voices from across the sector to demand better. There is strong evidence to demonstrate that in the United Kingdom, students who experience financial difficulties are more likely to experience poor mental health, such as depression, anxiety, and substance misuse (1). Recent research shows that 67% of students surveyed have suffered with mental health issues due to their financial situation (2). In addition, students having financial difficulties, on average, have worse academic outcomes, which is a source of further distress and perpetuates poor mental wellbeing. This all comes in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, which already posed significant financial challenges for students and their families. Beyond the immediate financial harm of the cost-of-living crisis, we are deeply worried that these conditions will create worse mental health outcomes among our student population in the longer term. Students have felt the squeeze of the cost-of-living crisis, but most of the help arranged by previous governments is not available to them. The prices of staple foods, such as bread and pasta, have risen by sixty-percent and forty-percent respectively in the last twelve months (3), while energy bills are set to increase by thousands of pounds, again, in April. Policy interventions such as council tax rebates, and the reversal of the national insurance levy, will make no difference to full-time students, who are already exempt from paying Council Tax, and typically won’t earn enough to make National Insurance contributions. Students have shared with us how expensive it is becoming for them just to participate in their studies, such as for medical students who have to pay hospital parking charges. Despite all this, students still have to buy groceries and pay their rent and energy bills, and are doing so without the financial support available to other segments of the population. We are asking the government to immediately intervene to develop targeted financial help for students to address the spiralling cost of living. Particularly, we recommend that the government:
Our recommendations echo those already made by key higher education sector bodies such as Universities UK and the National Union of Students. We have been disappointed by the minimal engagement we have received from politicians, despite reaching out to stress the urgency of the situation. Student mental health cannot wait. We need the government, opposition, and every public representative to take student mental health seriously, which means taking swift action to address the cost-of-living crisis. Universities must also play a part. We have been encouraged to see good practice at various universities and SUs, such as cheap hot meal schemes and textbook swap events. However, we think more can be done. While we cannot fully tackle this issue without government intervention, higher education providers can take these measures to support students through the cost of living crisis:
This is not just a question of student finances, but student mental health. In the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic, students were already in a compromised position, having dealt with years of economic hardship, political instability, and missed opportunities. They deserve better, and we need your help to make this happen, to protect student mental health now, and in the future. Help us advocate for better student mental health in the cost-of-living crisis:
If you are a student affected by the issues raised, or are struggling with your mental health, Student Space is here to help. Whether it’s your mental health, your studies, money, housing or relationships, we’re here to support you. Earlier this year, the independent regulator for higher education, the Office for Students (OfS), opened a consultation on proposed changes to the National Student Survey (NSS). This included a proposal to introduce a new question around how well mental wellbeing support services are communicated to students.
As the UK’s student mental health charity, we recognised the importance of engaging with this consultation, to share our insight and feedback. Our full response to the consultation is available to read on our website. As outlined in our response, we welcomed the proposal that a question on mental health and wellbeing be added to the NSS. However, we had concerns around the framing of the proposed question and therefore the usefulness of the data that responses would provide. The sole focus of the proposed question being the communication of support services means that responses would not give any insight into the prevalence of mental health issues amongst students, nor the factors shaping students’ wellbeing, or even the efficacy of support services themselves. With this in mind, our response proposed that the framing of the question be shifted, to better reflect the importance of a whole university approach to mental health and to capture more useful insights to inform both the sector and individual institutions. At the end of October, the OfS published an analysis of responses to the consultation, alongside their decisions. We were particularly pleased to see that there was much support across the sector for the inclusion of a question on mental health and wellbeing. This is a welcome sign that the higher education sector is moving towards adopting a whole university approach to mental health. However, we are disappointed that, despite ‘a number of respondents commenting on the appropriateness of the focus of the question’, the OfS has chosen to go ahead with asking the question around wellbeing as originally proposed. Student Minds recognises that consultations such as this one often receive extensive and detailed feedback from stakeholders, and that substantive change following a consultation isn’t always feasible. On this occasion however, we echo the concerns of other stakeholders in our sector and question the decisions made in response to this consultation, which received rich, high-quality feedback from experts in a number of areas. As a sector, it’s vital that we continue to work together, collaborate and take on feedback from one another in order to prioritise students and ensure their experience at university is a positive one. Without this, we risk losing out on opportunities to better understand and improve students’ experience and wellbeing. As such, we’d like to reiterate our openness for collaboration and willingness to engage in conversations around understanding student mental health and wellbeing. We hope there will be opportunities to develop this question set in the NSS in the future. Student Minds are delighted to welcome the 60 universities joining the University Mental Health Charter Programme in its second year, demonstrating their commitment to improving support for staff and student mental health.
Published in 2019, the Charter Framework provides a set of evidence-informed principles to support universities across the UK in making mental health a university-wide priority. The Charter Programme brings together universities committed to working towards these principles to share practice and create cultural change. This includes a commitment to working with staff and students to provide adequately resourced and effective support services, as well as creating an environment and culture that reduces poor mental health and promotes good mental health for the whole university community. The 60 universities on the Charter Programme form part of a UK-wide practice sharing network with access to events and opportunities to come together to improve their whole university approach to student and staff mental health. Programme members can also work towards the Charter Award, an accreditation scheme which recognises universities that demonstrate excellent practice. From our own research, we have found that 1 in 3 students find being at university negatively impacts their mental health, with 1 in 4 students having a diagnosed mental health issue. A variety of issues are negatively impacting student mental health such as loneliness, the cost of living and the ongoing impact of Covid-19. Therefore it is vital that we continue to build on the great work universities have already done in the past two years on the Programme, continue to learn from one another and make mental health and wellbeing a priority right across higher education. The Charter Programme was developed in consultation with staff and students, with initial funding from the UPP Foundation and the Office for Students and further funding from Jisc and the Charlie Watkins Foundation. We’d like to give special thanks to the University of Derby, Hartpury University and Glasgow Caledonian University, who supported us to pilot the Programme in 2020. We are delighted to be working with the following 60 universities to create cultural changes on their campuses:
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