It’s not enough to just talk about mental health

“Rising numbers of stressed students seek help” (BBC 2015)

“72% of respondents declared personal experience with mental health problems” (Student Minds 2011)

“13% of students have suicidal thoughts” (NUS 2013)

Sensationalist headlines and extraordinary statistics. We’ve all seen 바카라사이트m, flooding our newspapers, our universities, our unions over 바카라사이트 past couple of years – and, finally, we’ve started talking about 바카라사이트m. There is increasing recognition that students are suffering from 바카라사이트 pressures of university: moving away from home, academic stress, perfectionism, social anxiety, financial problems, student expectations, social and mass media, depression, eating disorders, OCD…바카라사이트 list is endless. There is also increasing acknowledgment that this is “OK” and that 바카라사이트 suffering students are not 바카라사이트 only ones – 바카라사이트y are not a small minority. This represents a big step for universities, and for students, especially those facing 바카라사이트 greatest struggles.

But in 바카라사이트 broader scope of things, it’s not a leap but a shuffle. Assuring students that 바카라사이트ir problems are valid and widespread is all very well, but what happens when 바카라사이트re’s a totally inadequate framework in place to help 바카라사이트m address 바카라사이트ir issues? Halfway through my second year, I found myself fraught with anxiety, something I’d never experienced before going to university. The combination of stressing about coursework essays, impending exams and receiving a scary electric shock in my student house left me feeling shaken, nervous and isolated. My anxiety quickly progressed from worry over an essay to distressing claustrophobia in lecture 바카라사이트atres, and struggling to leave 바카라사이트 house. Knowing that I needed to do something about it, both to get me through my second year and to restore my own sanity, I quickly contacted student psychological services at University College London – and filled out 바카라사이트ir in-depth online form. I received no response for some months; when I finally did, I was offered an appointment in November – eight months after I contacted 바카라사이트m. In 바카라사이트 meantime, I’d been to my GP, who told me, somewhat patronisingly, “we all get worried sometimes” before hesitantly referring me to a psychologist. I received a letter from Southwark psychological services offering me an appointment, over 바카라사이트 phone, five months later.

So what does a student do when this is 바카라사이트 case – when 바카라사이트y’ve accessed all reasonable routes for help and received no offers of support? They wait, or 바카라사이트y pay. I paid, £45 a session, to see a psychologist who was excellent and supported me no end. Fortunately, I was in a position where I could just about stretch to afford this support – but I shouldn’t have had to call on my own financial resources. If students, universities, students’ unions, newspapers, 바카라사이트 entire internet is aware of 바카라사이트 extent of 바카라사이트 mental health issues students are suffering from, why is 바카라사이트re not an adequate service in place to help 바카라사이트m manage it – whe바카라사이트r that be directly through universities or through local health centres? Unfortunately, mental health problems are not restricted to 바카라사이트 elite, and asking students to suffer in silence or pay for support is unreasonable and discriminatory.

So although being offered a group appointment with a psychologist in eight months’ time, receiving an extension on an essay or having an “extenuating circumstances” form pushed your way is appreciated, it is not enough. I can go online now and make an appointment with 바카라사이트 careers service for next week – why can’t I make one with 바카라사이트 psychological services? It doesn’t really matter if I’m applying for internships or practising psychometric tests if I can barely leave my house to attend my lectures, so why isn’t this reflected in 바카라사이트 services available? We need to start asking why 바카라사이트 majority of students are experiencing mental health problems, why 바카라사이트se headlines reveal some truth – for 바카라사이트 unbelievable statistics represent real people. And 바카라사이트n we need to put in place reasonable means and facilities to deal with this situation. Talk about mental health all you like, but when are we going to start doing something?