Written by Chloe

What is University Mental Health Day?

University mental health day is the biggest day of the year for raising awareness of student mental health. It is about bringing together the student community to make mental health a university-wide priority, improving access to support.

This day happens every year on the first Thursday in March.

Student Minds is the UK’s student mental health charity: the creators of University Mental Health Day.

The goal of University Mental Health Day?

The goal of university mental health day is all about improving university communities to make sure that no student is held back by their mental health. The day aims to bring people together and change the narrative surrounding student mental health.

Why is University Mental Health Day important?

University mental health day is important because there has been an increasing number of students that are accessing services, experiencing distress and mental illness and even at times having to leave university due to mental health difficulties. There has also been an increasing number of students deaths by suicide.

Therefore, University Mental Health Day is here to help bring knowledge, support, information and awareness for students and mental health.

Furthermore, for university students it is very easy to feel overwhelmed for many reasons such as: Academic pressure, money worries, loneliness, and many more. Raising awareness of how these issues impact student mental health allows for more targeted support to be developed.

To best manage these pressures, good mental health is important for students at university. Good mental health can help students to learn more effectively, cope with day-to-day challenges and develop into resilient young adults.

Facts and Figures: 1 in 3 students have said that they have poor mental wellbeing. 30 percent of students said their mental health had got worse since being at university 60 percent of students said that their financial situation was having a negative impact on their wellbeing 1 in 4 students have said that they do not know where to go to get mental health support at university if they needed it It has been stated that majority of mental health problems develop by the age of 24, which suggests that university students are a group at high risk 94 percent of higher education institutions reported an increase in demand for their counselling services Poor mental health has been associated with poorer academic outcomes The rate of first year students reported that they have had a mental health problem is increasing year by year Statistics highlight a 210 percent increase of university dropouts among students with mental health problems in the last few years Student suicides have increased in the last decade

What did Leicester Life Links do to celebrate and support University mental health day?

Leicester Life Links did a number of things to celebrate the day including:

  • Social Media

    We posted a social media post about the day on the day, as seen below:

  • Drop-In

    Additionally, we hosted a drop-in session at our De Montfort University student peer support group. This was a safe space for students to drop in to have a chat with a member of staff about their mental health and ways that Life Links can support.

    Drop-In

  • Event

    Life Links also had a stall at the DSU University Mental Health Day event, where we spoke to students about our service and where they can get help. Along with loads of free Life Links freebies! See Emily (Recovery Worker) at the event, below!

  • Groups

    In addition, to the De Montfort University student peer support group we run sessions each week to help support students with their mental health by providing them with a safe space and techniques to help with their wellbeing. You can visit our Instagram (@rfleiclifelinks) or our website (www.rflifelinks.co.uk) to find the weekly schedule for the Life Links student group.

    Groups

De Montfort University staff on Life Links work within the University

The following paragraph is from Molly Mold – she’s an Advice and Wellbeing frontrunner for the DSU and has written a paragraph for Life Links about the work we do with De Montfort University.

‘University can be a demanding and stressful time, as students learn and develop new skills. As well as becoming independent and starting their journey into higher education. This is why it’s extremely important to ensure that students’ mental health and wellbeing is supported throughout this time. DSU has teamed up with Life Links, where students can access support, guidance and advice regarding their wellbeing and mental health. The support groups cover a wide range of topics, some examples are motivation, Time To Talk Day and mindful coloring session, where students receive guidance and support on relevant topics. DSU teaming up with Life Links allows the Union to provide professional and relevant support, which is also readily accessible to students, as it’s based on campus at the SU. The members of staff from Life Links are professionally trained, so they can give correct support and advice to students. The sessions take place at the DSU in the Pod on a weekly basis, which creates a continuous support system that students have access to on a weekly basis, throughout their university journey. ‘

Helpful Organisations:

Student minds – https://www.studentminds.org.uk/

Student space – https://studentspace.org.uk/

DMU mental health crisis café – https://www.dmu.ac.uk/healthy/whats-on/2022/my-mind-matters-%E2%80%93-mental-health-crisis-caf%C3%A9.aspx