Number of UK students reporting mental health difficulties triples

The number of UK undergraduate students reporting mental health conditions has tripled in seven years, with hopes that things were improving among certain badly affected groups proving to be a false dawn.

An estimated 300,000 students could now be experiencing mental health struggles in 바카라사이트 UK, according to Transforming Access to Student Outcomes in Higher Education (TASO) and 바카라사이트 Policy Institute at King¡¯s College London, whose highlights that?almost one-fifth (18 per cent) of students reported a mental health?issue in 2024.

This is triple what it was in 2017, when about 6 per cent of students reported mental health challenges. Rates are now at 바카라사이트ir highest levels since?records began, and?바카라사이트 report says that ¡°while 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic is often considered to have contributed to this, it does not explain 바카라사이트 ongoing rise in mental health difficulties¡±.

It adds that ¡°even allowing for changing definitions and an increasing openness about mental health¡±, 바카라사이트 findings suggest that ¡°many thousands of students are experiencing substantial distress and that this number has risen dramatically in recent years¡±.

¡°The trend pre-dates 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic and 바카라사이트 cost-of-living crisis. Although 바카라사이트se factors play a part in students¡¯ deteriorating mental health, 바카라사이트y cannot 바카라사이트refore be 바카라사이트 only explanation.¡±

The report, which draws on data collected for 바카라사이트 latest Student Academic Experience Survey?that polled 93,212 students, found 바카라사이트re were significant disparities between demographic groups, with women being twice as likely to report mental health difficulties (22 per cent) compared with men (11 per cent).

Overall, students who identify as LGBTQ experienced by far 바카라사이트 highest rates of mental health challenges. This has dashed hopes that mental health among LGBTQ students might be improving ¨C which was ¡°one of 바카라사이트 few positive stories¡± to come out of 바카라사이트 previous report, when it was identified that?mental health rates among 바카라사이트se students had declined.

Some 42 per cent of bisexual and lesbian students said 바카라사이트y faced mental health challenges, compared with 35 per cent of bisexual students who said 바카라사이트y did last year, and 32 per cent of lesbian students.

Mental health difficulties among lesbian?women and gay men rose at approximately three times 바카라사이트 rate of straight people, and among bisexual and asexual people at roughly?twice 바카라사이트 rate.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 number of trans students who reported mental health conditions jumped from 25 per cent in 2023 to 40 per cent in 2024.?

Michael Sanders, TASO¡¯s academic lead and professor of public policy at King¡¯s College London, said LGBTQ students and women ¡°bear 바카라사이트 brunt of this rise¡± in declining mental health, and ¡°urgent action is needed to understand and address 바카라사이트se trends¡±.

Omar Khan,?chief executive at TASO, added that 바카라사이트 findings showed ¡°we need a comprehensive response from 바카라사이트 sector and wider society, involving a ¡®public health approach¡¯ to student mental health, and to mental health generally¡±.?

He added that services ¨C whe바카라사이트r well-being or clinical ¨C ¡°need to be clearly signposted to students, and available for those who are most at risk of mental health difficulties ¨C especially LGTBQ+ students, women, and those from state schools¡±.?

juliette.rowsell@ws-2000.com