1. Student mental health and well-being
School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences
Student mental health and well-being
Professor Shirley Reynolds

2. Common mental health problems
Severe
mental health
problems
Common mental health problems
Life’s up and downs

3. Acquiring new skills
Especially to do with social behaviour
Abstract reasoning – greater focus on considering yourself from the eyes of another person
Impulse control and long-term perspective taking

4. Age of onset of Major Mental Health disorders

5. AGE of onset of schizoprenia

6. Age of onset of bipolar disorder

7. Burden of mental ill health by age

9. WHY DO WE SEE An INCREASE?

10. Social Gradient of health

11. Evidence based treatment

12. Student mental health
Students often come to us expecting to be given a prescription of some kind, but a lot of difficulties are not caused not medical problems, but by normal life problems, such as family or relationship issues, or anxiety about their work
While these problems are distressing, through counselling we can help students to understand them, and then suggest strategies for dealing with their feelings.
Alan Percy, head of counselling at the University of Oxford

13. Common mental health problems
Severe
mental health
problems
Common mental health problems
Life’s up and downs

14. Dealing with ‘normal life problems’

15. ‘Stepped care’ model

16. Common mental health problems
Usually refers to
Depression (range of severity, mild – severe; at the severe end can merge with psychosis)
Anxiety disorders
Generalised anxiety disorder
Social anxiety
PTSD
Panic and agorophobia
OCD
Body dysmorphic disorder
Eating disorders
NB these are often co-morbid so people often have many

17. Severe mental health problems
Bipolar Disorder
Schizophrenia
Personality Disorder
Some eating disorders
Chronic depression
Substance misuse
These require multi-disciplinary care and management over a lengthy period.
The aim is recovery or management of the condition.
Medication is often used, supplemented by psychological therapies and/or counselling, family support etc

18. Understanding the mechanisms

19. Mechanisms in PTSD

22. Counselling and psychological therapies
Problems with definitions – but
Counselling (non-directive) is recommended for mild to moderate depression (NICE)
Likely to be useful to support students and staff who have ongoing difficulties, adjustment, bereavement, ‘stress’, relationship difficulties
CBT is recommended for problems with anxiety related disorders (e.g. PTSD, phobias, health anxiety) depression, eating disorders
Multidisciplinary care is usually required for bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, many eating disorders
How do universities work with and alongside NHS services?

25. Challenges
Continuity of care – term/non term, GP liaison home /university Family (social) support and engagement Working across and with different agencies Conflicting roles and responsibilities to individual students

26. ‘Stepped care’ model

29. Shirley Reynolds: S.A.Reynolds@reading.ac.uk
Thank you