The UK’s student mental health charity.
Student Minds works with students, service users, professionals and academics to develop new and innovative ways to improve the mental health of students.
We empower students and members of the university community to develop the knowledge, confidence and skills to look after their own mental health, support others, and create change, so that all in higher education can thrive.
Key to our approach is ensuring that young people have agency, whilst empowering the community around them to have the health literacy and tools to respond. We want to ensure students have access to timely, youth-friendly support and resources. We’re focused on prevention, ensuring that more young people learn how to build their own wellbeing toolkit. We train students and staff in universities across the UK to deliver student-led peer support programmes as well as research-driven campaigns and workshops. By working collaboratively across sectors, we share best practice and ensure that the student voice influences decisions about student mental health.
Find out more about our impact in our latest annual report.
We empower students and members of the university community to develop the knowledge, confidence and skills to look after their own mental health, support others, and create change, so that all in higher education can thrive.
Key to our approach is ensuring that young people have agency, whilst empowering the community around them to have the health literacy and tools to respond. We want to ensure students have access to timely, youth-friendly support and resources. We’re focused on prevention, ensuring that more young people learn how to build their own wellbeing toolkit. We train students and staff in universities across the UK to deliver student-led peer support programmes as well as research-driven campaigns and workshops. By working collaboratively across sectors, we share best practice and ensure that the student voice influences decisions about student mental health.
Find out more about our impact in our latest annual report.
Our history
Student Minds (formerly Student Run Self Help) was started in 2009 following the success of our first student - led support group for students experiencing mental health difficulties at university. Having experienced her own mental health difficulties at university, Dr Nicola Byrom set up the organisation aiming to make it easier for students with an eating disorder to access support. The first groups, run by trained student volunteers, were founded on the principles that everyone deserves easy access to support, and that talking to others can really aid the recovery process.
In 2013, the charity re-branded as Student Minds and merged with Mental Wealth UK, a network of student-led campaign groups, helping students to become more aware of the importance of mental wellbeing and to encourage conversations about mental health.
Student Minds has grown significantly over the years, supporting students with a range of mental health difficulties and working with all members of the university community to promote positive wellbeing.
In 2013, the charity re-branded as Student Minds and merged with Mental Wealth UK, a network of student-led campaign groups, helping students to become more aware of the importance of mental wellbeing and to encourage conversations about mental health.
Student Minds has grown significantly over the years, supporting students with a range of mental health difficulties and working with all members of the university community to promote positive wellbeing.
Our strategic priorities
Looking towards the next 3 years, we'll be prioritising the following;
- Building a stronger student - led mental health movement: Our student groups and national University Mental Health day already play an important role in both tackling stigma and building community. With greater investment and resources, our student groups will drive change nationally and in their communities.
- Delivering sustainable formal and informal peer support interventions, which go to where students are: We want to dramatically build our scale, supported by an evaluation programme, digital support, and train the trainer approaches, so that more universities can create impactful peer networks and strengthen naturally occurring systems of support.
- Supporting the sector to truly deliver on a ‘whole-university' approach to mental health and wellbeing: Building on our student engagement model, we will continue to publish influential research, advise on the implementation of the Universities UK 'Step Change' framework for a whole university approach, and support longer term support mechanisms for universities, students' unions and accommodation providers in developing their mental health strategies.
- Co-producing with young people, professionals and academics to test innovative, preventative interventions which build wellbeing: All young people should be equipped with the tools and skills to build wellbeing and have agency over their health. Through partnerships, we'll combine evidence with student leadership to develop solutions which work, are sustainable, and that students want to use.
- Tackling the inequalities and barriers faced by underrepresented groups in higher education: Starting with a programme for LGBTQ+ students, we will address gaps for underrepresented groups including BAME, international, postgraduate and PhD students.
- Improving transitions for students across life stages; Transitions between education institutions, health providers and the workplace create gaps for young people to fall down. We'll knock down the silos, improving outreach and timely information for schools, parents and graduate employers.
Why do we focus on student mental health and the university community?
Nearly 50% of young people enter Higher Education. For many, university is the first time living independently away from established networks of family support. In adjusting to the student lifestyle, many students struggle to maintain healthy day-to-day routines and experience academic, social and financial pressures. In fact, roughly a third of students report psychological distress (Bewick, 2008) during these formative years.
In relation to diagnosable mental illness, many of these lifestyle pressures can result in irregular sleeping patterns, poor diet, work pressures, lack of exercise and alcohol consumption, which are all risk factors for developing mental illness. The median age of Higher Education students overlaps the peak age of onset, with 75% of all mental health difficulties developing by mid-20s (RCPsych, 2011), though of course not all students are young and many mature students face the tripple pressure of student life, working and supporting a family.
Anxiety and depression are the most commonly experienced mental illness in the student population, but students also experience eating disorders, self-harm, OCD, bipolar disorder, psychosis and personality disorders.
All of this can contribute to decreased performance and interpersonal problems (ACHA, 2007), leading to academic failure and dropout, job difficulties and negative social outcomes (Patel et al, 2007). Tragically, in recent years there has been an increase in the number of student deaths by suicide (IPPR, 2017).
There are substantial barriers to providing adequate care for the student population associated with many students living between multiple cities. Both Universities and the NHS are struggling to meet demand, with insufficient resources leading to long waiting times. Stigma, the fear of being judged and low disclosure also presents challenges. Particular groups of students can face further barriers in accessing support, and many staff that work in universities feel they need more training and support to respond to students or colleagues in distress.
We believe it doesn’t need to be like this. We think that all students and members of the university community should be able to thrive at university. Effective early- intervention, building health literacy and other preventative approaches, as well as providing ongoing support for both those with and those supporting someone with mental health difficulties could improve the futures of millions of people.
We hope you’ll join us.
In relation to diagnosable mental illness, many of these lifestyle pressures can result in irregular sleeping patterns, poor diet, work pressures, lack of exercise and alcohol consumption, which are all risk factors for developing mental illness. The median age of Higher Education students overlaps the peak age of onset, with 75% of all mental health difficulties developing by mid-20s (RCPsych, 2011), though of course not all students are young and many mature students face the tripple pressure of student life, working and supporting a family.
Anxiety and depression are the most commonly experienced mental illness in the student population, but students also experience eating disorders, self-harm, OCD, bipolar disorder, psychosis and personality disorders.
All of this can contribute to decreased performance and interpersonal problems (ACHA, 2007), leading to academic failure and dropout, job difficulties and negative social outcomes (Patel et al, 2007). Tragically, in recent years there has been an increase in the number of student deaths by suicide (IPPR, 2017).
There are substantial barriers to providing adequate care for the student population associated with many students living between multiple cities. Both Universities and the NHS are struggling to meet demand, with insufficient resources leading to long waiting times. Stigma, the fear of being judged and low disclosure also presents challenges. Particular groups of students can face further barriers in accessing support, and many staff that work in universities feel they need more training and support to respond to students or colleagues in distress.
We believe it doesn’t need to be like this. We think that all students and members of the university community should be able to thrive at university. Effective early- intervention, building health literacy and other preventative approaches, as well as providing ongoing support for both those with and those supporting someone with mental health difficulties could improve the futures of millions of people.
We hope you’ll join us.
