Student movement launches online mental health hub

Q Radio News

To mark the start of the academic term, NUS-USI is now launching a student mental health hub on its website, to help students find out where to go if they want to seek assistance.

Over 3,600 students in Northern Ireland took part in NUS-USI’s student well-being survey which led to this project found.

The survey found that 78% of student respondents indicated that they had experienced mental health worries over the past year.

NUS-USI President Olivia Potter-Hughes spoke to Q Radio.

She went on to say, “I am pleased to today announce that we are launching our Keeping You in Mind mental health hub on our website, to coincide with the start of the academic year.

The hub offers a wide range of information and details on where to access mental health support across Northern Ireland. In 2017, we launched a report on our survey on student mental health and wellbeing at NUS-USI conference.

These extremely troubling findings helped set the agenda, gaining significant coverage and drawing attention to the high level of mental health problems facing students in Northern Ireland.

“The student wellbeing survey findings helped frame the work NUS-USI has done in the intervening period. We created the Keeping You in Mind campaign with the aim of tackle these challenges and ensuring that students have access to mental health support services.

“78% of student respondents to the survey indicated they had experienced mental health worries over the past year, with over half of all respondents not reaching out for any support at all, and a third unaware of the support available from their university or college.

Also, 46% of respondents said that mental health problems had impacted on their quality of life, 44% said that they had impacted upon their studies, and 43% said they had impacted on their relationships.

“Fewer than half of student respondents had heard of disability services (43%), or were familiar with peer support (36%), and only a quarter were knowledgeable about the support register.

“As part of our Keeping You in Mind work, we also wish to see the delivery of a cross-departmental government strategy here that includes resources for a programme to develop and promote peer-led campaigns to address mental health problems on campuses across Northern Ireland.”