‘It’s OK to admit that you’re not OK’

Every university clearly strives to be a place where people can flourish. There are more than 2.2 million students and over 400,000 staff engaged in higher education in the UK but the sector is facing an increasing challenge. Nationally, around one in four people will experience a mental health problem each year and the average age of the first onset is between 17-25 years, which is the age of many undergraduate students.

It’s not surprising that as student numbers have grown, the demand for mental health services has increased. Universities have been reporting a greater increase in students declaring a mental health issue and a threefold increase in demand for counselling services since 2007. We have also seen a doubling of the number of students taking their own lives over the last ten years.

I recently took part in a Channel 4 News programme looking at student suicides. Sadly, one of our own students took his life in 2017, during his first year with us. The programme featured his father, a very brave and proud man who shared his story and wished that his son had talked to him or anyone that might have been able to help. Sadly, as is often the case, he wasn’t known to our services, hadn’t mentioned anything of concern and no-one had alerted us to a potential problem. We owe it to his family and friends and other students who have tragically taken their own lives to do more to identify and support those in need before it is too late.

At UWE Bristol we have launched Mental Wealth First, a new strategy which puts mental wealth first for our students and staff. I hope this approach not only helps to reduce extreme tragic events but also enables all students to better understand their own mental health and wellbeing and how to access support when needed.

The strategy is the product of collaboration, many conversations with staff, students and partners and a commitment to understand what the university is doing well and what else is needed. We have committed to making this a strategic priority for the university and this is only the start of a journey that will evolve over a number of years.

We wish to improve the mental health and wellbeing of everyone who learns and works in our organisation. And, if the need arises, we want to ensure that everyone has access to relevant support, services and treatments. One of the messages we are particularly determined to embed through this work is that it’s OK to admit that you’re not OK and it’s good to declare and talk about your own mental health and wellbeing. Wellbeing and mental health should be part of everyday language for everyone in higher education.

But this strategy is not something we can implement alone, as universities are just one part of a much broader eco-system. Working partnerships will be crucial between departments, the Students’ Union, the higher education sector, the NHS, third sector, charities, schools and graduate employers. We’ve already recognised the importance of these partnerships, linking up with Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, the city councils and charities. To really do the best by our students it is critical that we are as joined up as possible in the approach we take.

Although our strategy has only just been launched, we are by no means starting from scratch in this area. Recently, we carried out an audit to get a clear picture of the full range of our existing services and activities related to mental health and wellbeing. This found there were more than 200 initiatives underway, ranging from workshops, counselling support and drop-in sessions, to others that are truly innovative. In 2017 we were the first university to launch Kooth – a free, anonymous online platform which provides access to advice and forums at all times of the day. Nightline, a phone-based student-to-student support service, run by the Students’ Union, was launched in January 2018.

Looking to the future, new activities will emerge as the strategy becomes embedded across the university. For example, students will benefit from a new student centre from September with spaces to meet and relax with peers and access out-of-hours support. We are investing in a market-leading analytics solution to help us to understand how students engage with their coursework and study activities which in turn will inform and shape our regular contact with them. Parents, carers and families will receive more guidance about the support available.

There are many other things that we hope to achieve through our new approach, and more will develop over time. Importantly, this requires far-reaching culture change and is not going to be a quick fix. I am sure that in delivering on this work and encouraging a wider two-way conversation about the importance of seeking support, we can make a lasting difference.

Professor Steve West is vice-chancellor of UWE Bristol  and the chair of the Universities UK working group on mental health in higher education.