Student perspectives on mental health support and services in the UK

ABSTRACT

Student mental health is an issue of growing concern. Past research indicates that many students are not accessing the support they require, which may in part be due to issues surrounding the standards of the available services. Using a participatory framework, the current study utilised a mixed-methods design to examine student experiences of National Health Service (NHS) mental health services and perspectives of peer support. An online survey was completed by 376 UK students to examine their experiences of NHS mental health services, as well as their attitudes towards peer support. Several improvements were identified for future NHS mental health services regarding reduced waiting times, better access to alternative treatments and facilitating more patient-centred communication. Benefits of peer support services were also noted, including the potential to normalise experiences and promote belonging. These findings have implications for understanding how we can best support students experiencing mental health difficulties.

KEYWORDS:

• student mental health
• student wellbeing
• support services
• National Health Service (NHS)
• peer support

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rachel Batchelor

Rachel Batchelor was a BSc Psychology student. She graduated from Royal Holloway, University of London, in 2018.

Emma Pitman

Emma Pitman was a BSc Psychology student. She graduated from Royal Holloway, University of London, in 2018.

Alex Sharpington

Alex Sharpington was a BSc Psychology student. He graduated from Royal Holloway, University of London, in 2018.

Melissa Stock

Melissa Stock was a BSc Psychology student. She graduated from Royal Holloway, University of London, in 2018.

Eilidh Cage

Eilidh Cage is a teaching-focused lecturer in Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London. She completed her PhD at the Centre for Research in Autism and Education, UCL Institute of Education (awarded 2015). Dr Cage has worked at Royal Holloway since 2015 and her research interests focus on student mental health and the experiences of autistic adults.