|
Student Health issues and local service highlights will be developed on this page.
Firstly, a focus on mental health problems for students and where to find help and support.
How big a problem is mental ill heath in students?
In the general population, 25% of people are likely to have a mental health problem at some time in their life. But figures from the organisation which represents university counselling services suggest that incidence is higher amongst the student population.
The Association for University and College Counselling (AUCC) (www.aucc.uk.com), which represents 530 counsellors and another 120 higher education institutions, claims 3%-10% of the student population will have contact with its counselling service in a single year.
Additionally, statistics from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (www.bacp.co.uk) last year revealed that young people were most likely than any other age group to suffer from depression. First episodes of other serious mental health illnesses such as schizophrenia or manic depression often occur in young adulthood.
How would someone know if a student is mentally ill?
Lancaster University has produced a student mental health manual (www.studentmentalhealth.org.uk), which was funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and has been widely adopted by higher education institutions as an example of best practice.
The guide lists eight signs to look out for which might suggest a student is mentally unwell, such as:
-Look for any noticeable changes in the student's appearance such as weight loss or gain, or decline in personal hygiene.
-Listen to how the student speaks - is their voice flat or agitated? Are they speaking too loudly or too quietly?
-Has the student's mood changed or have their housemates noticed a change?
-Look out for any changes in their behaviour such as not attending lectures or doing too much work or being withdrawn.
Most universities have a counselling service which is staffed by specialist professionals trained to cope with students with mental health problems. Contact details of university counselling services can be found at www.student.counselling.co.uk.
The counselling service will have professional links with statutory mental health services outside the campus including a psychiatric crisis intervention team.
What if a university doesn't have its own counselling service?
It would be appropriate to contact the student's GP if you know who they are, to discuss your concerns and suggest they should step in and help. If you do not know who the student's GP is but you are worried that the student may be psychotic then contact any GP and explain the problem. The GP can step in and treat the student as a temporary patient if necessary and, if appropriate, call in the emergency mental health team (Crisis Team).
Another option, if you believe the student is potentially a danger to themselves or others, is to contact the police.
|
