The UK’s best university mental health initiatives

In 2016 YouGov reported 1 in 4 students were suffering with a mental health problem and according to data from the ONS, sadly as many as 95 students died from suicide between the months of July 2016 to June 2017, which is shockingly nearly one every four days.

We’ve taken a look at the mental health initiatives of the UK’s universities and highlighted 15 of the best. 

• University of Surrey uses pet therapy for stressed students in the run up to exams
• Cardiff University offers eight weeks of free personal training to boost mental wellbeing
• University of Bristol has become the first university in the country to create a “Science of Happiness” course, designed to teach their students strategies for living a more fulfilling life
• University of Abertay offers preparation courses for those students who are nervous about starting at university and living away from home for the first time  
• St Andrews University offers students a free personal coach to help build confidence and deal with pressure 
• Lancaster University have trained practitioners on hand for free 30 minute appointments at their in-house clinic
• Plymouth University allows students to book up to 6 sessions of counselling with their trained associate counsellors for free 
• Kingston University has drop-in sessions with wellbeing practitioners and listening sessions up for grabs for their students 
• Canterbury Christ Church has therapy dogs available for students who find cuddling up to a furry friend helps with their wellbeing 
• University of Essex provides drop-in mindfulness sessions for free 
• Edge Hill University has a variety of different wellbeing workshops for students as well as 1:1 sessions if needed
• University of Dundee have created a “stay on course” plan for those students finding it difficult to keep on track with their studies
• University of Bolton offers cognitive behavioral psychotherapy provided by their postgraduate students to provide help with anxiety, low mood, bereavement and trauma 
• Coventry university have developed their own wellbeing app
• Keele University have groups of peer helpers who are there to support other students

Laura Rettie, Vice President of Global Communications at Studee comments: 

“Studying at university can be an incredibly daunting experience for students. It marks the first time living away from home, learning how to be financially independent, trying to make new friends, learning about a new area and with the added pressure of exams and coursework, university can be a recipe for disaster. For many students, spinning so many plates can become a very real strain on their mental health. 

“I really struggled with my own mental health 16 years ago when I was in my last and most critical year of university in my early 20’s. Sadly there were very few resources available to help me with my depression on campus and my housemates didn’t really understand what I was going through. It’s therefore amazing to see so many universities offering such wonderful initiatives and prioritising the mental health and wellbeing of their students. It would be fantastic to see more universities in the UK extend their offerings to cater for students who need a guiding hand on their journey to graduation.”