The pandemic has left a lasting legacy on the mental health of the “Covid generation” of students, exacerbating rates of anxiety, depression and self-harm and resulting in a “significant increase” in young people struggling in college, experts said. .
UK universities have reported that more students are experiencing mental health problems after the pandemic, and this is expected to continue with the cohort that arrived in September, whose school experience was greatly affected by the pandemic.
The president of the National Union of StudentsLarissa Kennedy said she was “deeply concerned” about the student mental health crisis, which was “getting worse”, and NUS research suggests “most students are plagued by anxiety”.
Recent research by the mental health charity Humen suggested that more than two in five (41%) of students did not believe their institution prevented problems from arising.
Nearly half (47%) of students said mental health difficulties had a negative impact on their college experience, while a third said they didn’t know where to go for help, according to the survey of 7,385 students.
Kennedy said the students’ struggles were caused by exam pressure combined with the cost-of-living crisis, calling for more funding to introduce “early support centers” that would “keep thousands from reaching crisis point.”
Last week the government announced £3m funding to bridge the gap between the NHS and university mental health services, which the NUS warned was a drop in the ocean, amounting to just one pound sterling per student.
Universities were “seeing an increase in students experiencing mental health issues and while this has been growing over time, it has certainly been accelerated by the pandemic,” said Rachel Sandby-Thomas of the Association of Chief Administrative Officers. University (AHUA).
Dr. Dominique Thompson, a leading medical expert in student mental health, added that professionals had seen “a significant increase” in students with eating disorders, anxiety, loneliness and self-harm.
He said the younger generation had been “terribly affected” by the pandemic and lockdown, and needed help to “rebuild their social skills, reassure them about their academic abilities and support them to be emotionally well”, especially black, Asian or minority. ethnic. , LGBTQ+, and students with disabilities.
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Recent data from the Student Loans Company suggested that these difficult experiences may translate into higher rates of college dropouts, with an additional 3,706 students dropping out of their courses.
Humen also ranked colleges on the mental health support they offered students based on survey results and freedom of information data, including how much colleges spend and student satisfaction. On that basis, the University of Reading ranked highest, in part because it spent the most per student with an average of £70. Oxford and Central Lancashire came in second and third.
Paddy Woodman, director of student services at Reading, said the college recognizes that mental health is affected by “a wide range” of issues, and that colleges have a unique role as “an organization that has to help its clients with all they have to do.” with their lives.” This includes helping students with wellness issues that do not necessarily require professional support, such as difficulties getting along with their housemates.
Helping students socialize was a particular focus, especially after the pandemic, Goodman said. She has observed that students want quieter, more comfortable spaces in which to make friends, and she has noticed a noticeable decrease in the number of attendees at the campus nightclub. “They have missed that transition to adulthood, but in a safe home environment: exploring opportunities, going to parties, learning the rules of how you behave and handle yourself,” she said.
A spokesperson for Universities UK said universities had “stepped up” their efforts to support their students reflecting the difficult pandemic they have had, combined with “social media saturation and climate anxiety”. He added that this was a “shared priority” with the NHS and the government, with which universities were lobbying to ensure “sustained funding and commissioning of student-focused NHS services”.
