Students and Mental Health

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Students and Mental Health

• Diane Phimister
• Dave Cowen

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Statistical Context

• HE sector in the UK has grown rapidly increase
  of nearly 1 million students from 1,567,313
  (1994/1995) to 2,287,540 (2004/5)
• Suicide is the most common cause of death in
  young men under the age of 35.
• 1990-1999 1,482 full-time student deaths as a
  result of suicide.147-178 students commit
  suicide every year.
• Difficulty in establishing true extent of the
  issue.

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Possible exacerbators for increased mental health
problems

• Student life-style.
• Access to support services.
• Family support.
• Increased debt.
• Pressures of academia.

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Issues identifed

• Conflict of roles.-
• Therapists vs academics.
• Definition of roles ?amateur counsellors

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Issues identified

• Communication
• Disjointed.
• Lacking co-ordination.
• Confidentiality

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Issues identified

• Attitudes/ discrimination
• Stigma.
• Staff awareness. For example findings from a
  research study into the needs of staff at the
  University of Hull revealed that
• 26 of tutors felt they lacked the
  knowledge, skills and experience to deal with
  students mental health needs.
• Definition of disability identified as a
  problem/burden/labelled. Mental illness
  disability???

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Issues identified

• Duty of care Lord Atkins Donohue vs.
  Stephenson (1932).
• DDA (1995) and SENDA (part 4) (2001) makes it
  unlawful for Higher Education Institutions
  (responsible bodies) to discriminate against a
  disabled person in terms of educational
  provision.
• Reasonable adjustment anticipatory duty owed to
  disabled people and students. Staff development
  and review of practice should be ongoing.

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What are we doing at Coventry?

• Development of student mental health forum to
  include AST and mental health advisor.
• Developing a clear policy and flowchart for staff
  dissemination to the whole faculty.
• Liaising with practice regarding suicide strategy.

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So why is this all so important?

• Raising the profile of mental health encourage
  safe disclosure.
• Reduction of stigma.
• Contribution to national targets.
• Most importantly - Student experience DAVES
  STORY