One of the best things about this generation of students is how aware we are of the effects of mental health on people. We are now more conscious than ever to treat mental health in the same way as we treat physical health; with care, understanding and proper medical attention. But what of universities? Are the mental health services on campuses up and down the country sufficient?
Considering the effect that Covid-19 has had on the mental health of many people around the world, it is more important than ever that universities give the proper support. However, I think quite a lot of people may feel that the mental health services in Higher Education aren’t fit for purpose.
A long way to go
As someone who has used some of these services before, my views are clear. The services at university have a long way to go before they become fit for purpose. While my views on this matter come from personal experience, I’ve spoken to many other individuals who have used the services and feel the same way. For myself, it seemed whoever I spoke to was keen to pass me onto the next person, who would pass me onto the next without the appropriate level of care and attention.
It surprised me that people within these services designed to help students seemed so reluctant to take responsibility and provide support. Particularly during the pandemic where I struggled with my mental health, I felt almost hopeless at times.
I’m not suggesting that this would be the case for everyone who uses these services. For many the university mental health support will have helped them through some very difficult times. It is also certain that, within these support structures, there are some brilliant individuals working hard to help university students with their mental health. Students like Joe, who was keen to point out that his subject department was very helpful in giving him support with his mental wellbeing. However, there are so many students who feel that mental health as a whole isn’t a priority for their universities.
Not alone
My experience with these services are not unique. I was lucky enough to speak with a student who was more than happy to share their thoughts on why they never wanted to seek support from university. The individual, who has asked to remain anonymous, stated that ‘the bad reputation has made me never want to try. It reflects badly on universities that I’m put off using the mental health services’. It would seem that, through word of mouth, the mental health support systems have been shown to be inadequate. Students are reluctant to even try them.
As I’ve said before, it would be wrong of me to rubbish the support systems in place on university campuses completely. In many respects they are an important pillar of any particular university. That being said, my personal experience seems to have been shared with others who feel that the services were unable to provide the necessary support. If students want mental health to be given just as much support and understanding as physical health, then it seems universities will certainly need to do more to help.
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