‘One in eight students considers suicide’

ONE in five students considers themselves to have a mental health problem and around one in eight has suicidal thoughts.

Napier University. One in five students across the UK suffer from mental health problems, according to new research. Picture: TSPL

The poll by the the National Union of Students (NUS) surveyed 1,200 young people studying at universities across the UK and found workload and financial worries were the main cause of stress and unhappiness.

Overall, 92 per cent of respondents said they had suffered feelings of mental distress, including feeling down, stressed and demotivated. On average, respondents who reported feelings of mental distress experienced them once a month or more, and almost one-third suffered mental distress every week.

NUS spokeswoman Hannah Paterson said: “These stats are confirming what I have been hearing on campuses for some time. My primary concern is the fact that over a quarter of those surveyed did not tell anyone about their problems with a mere one in ten using care 
provided by their institution.

“We are currently meeting with mental health organisations in a bid to bring all stakeholders together to examine the standard of mental health care in UK universities, and hope to make an announcement in the coming weeks on the shape this will take.”

Across much of the UK, students now face fees of up to £9,000 a year towards the cost of their tuition. While Scots studying in their home country remain exempt from fees, there is growing pressure on students to perform well academically, and to pack their lives full of extra-curricular activities to give themselves an edge in the increasingly competitive graduate jobs market.

Paul Farmer, chief executive of mental health charity Mind, said: “Higher education institutions need to ensure not just that services are in place to support mental wellbeing, but that they pro-actively create a culture of openness where students feel able to talk about their mental health and are aware of the support that’s available.

“Opening up to friends and family can help those feeling stressed or anxious, but anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts, or consistently feeling down, may have an enduring mental health problem, so it’s best they visit their GP.”

A spokesman for Universities Scotland added: “The health and wellbeing of their students is of the upmost importance to all of Scotland’s universities. All universities take their duty of care very seriously and have in place a range of student support services including a dedicated, confidential counselling service for students to provide help and advice on a range of issues whether personal or academic. Any student who feels they have mental health issues are encouraged to seek help from their institution and should do so without the fear of being stigmatised.”

In 2011, a report by the Royal College of Psychiatrists called for more investment in mental health support at universities