1. The Elephant Has Left the Room
Students and Mental Health Difficulties
Dr Louise Cotton

2. Content: Introduction Background to the research The pilot project
Aims
Findings
Limitations
What Next ?

3. Queen Margaret University
Small campus university S.E Edinburgh
Student population 6,294*
QMU student distribution by origin*
*As at

4. Background to the Research
Widening participation context
Reported rise in student mental health issues
Lack of research in this area
QMU Student Experience Strategy
QMU/QMUSU Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy launched 2016.

5. Main aims :
To find out if QMU Students: i) experience mental health issues akin to the wider student population ii) are less likely to seek help at a smaller university iii) are aware of the range of support services and resources available to them.

6. Results: 100 Students completed the survey
86.6 % female , age group (77.6%), FT UG School of Health Sciences (62.7%) , UK origin (65.7%)
85.4% reported experiencing a mental health difficulty as a student
More than half declaring a formal diagnosis

7. Type of mental health difficulty experienced (n=100)

8. Impact on academic life (n=100)

9. ‘Other’ Effects of Mental Health Difficulties:
Loss of interest and motivation
Poor performance and lower grades
‘I spend more time crying over my coursework and having panic attacks about deadlines than I do studying’.

10. Who do you talk to? Reasons for non-disclosure:
Most students reported speaking to someone at QMU (62.5%)
Reasons for non-disclosure:
Not knowing who to speak to (25%)
Shame or embarrassment (22.5%)
Fear of being judged (17.5%)

11. Support services used, known or not known
Conventional resources counselling, disability services, effective learning services - all recognised and well-used.
Mindfulness training, QMU Mentoring, QMUSU Support Zone, Stay on Course and Mental Health First Aid – all under used.

12. QMU/QMUSU Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy
86% of students had not heard of this

13. Summary:
Students at smaller institutions just as vulnerable to mental health issues
Changing student demographics – need for more pre-emptive measures
Lesser known services should be better advertised/promoted
This would ease on oversubscribed traditional services where more likely to be longer waiting times

14. Limitations of the Study ?
Small number of participants
Participants were self selecting
Launch of survey clashed with NSS
Survey was ‘live’ for short window
BUT some common themes in terms of types of distress (anxiety and stress)and lack of awareness of what is available.

15. Next Stage ? Launch survey to new undergraduate student intake 2017/18
Focus on widening participation and implications
Refine the survey – specifically ‘transition’
Launch end of Semester 1 for longer
Run focus group (s)

16. Thank you for listening