Mental Health Services survey results summary

Visual data are presented for the results of a mental health services survey sent out
to all students of the University of York in March/April 2015. The comments from the
open comment section were excluded in this version of the report for confidentiality
reasons, but were summarised where appropriate.

General overview
In total, 665 responses were received from Undergraduate, Taught Masters and
Research students;
both Home and International students are represented in the responses.
Responses by Degree Type
Research

Responses by Home/International status

Taught Masters

34%

41%
Undergraduate

Home35%

International

65%
25%

Considering the differences in number of responses by degree and nationality, all

data has been rescaled so that each group totals 100% (i.e. if there were twice as
many home as international, we adjusted it so that the column for Home looks at
Home only so reflects 100% and International the same).
Question 1
Have you ever experienced mental health difficulties (e.g. depression, anxiety,
stress, trouble sleeping, panic, suicidal thoughts, thoughts of self-harming, etc.)
while studying at the University of York?
The graphs show that between 71% and 84% percent of all participants have
experienced mental health difficulties while studying at York. Home student reported
to experience such difficulties slightly more often (14%), although it would be
interesting to note that 5.7% international participants preferred not to say as
opposed to 2.3% home participants.
Mental Health Difficulty by Degree type
Home/International status

Mental Health Difficulty by

100%

2.2%
13.5%

3.6%

5.0%
19.0%

25.7%

76.0%

70.7%

80%
60%
40%
20%

I dont know

84.3%

No

Yes

e
er
gr
ad
U

Ta
u

nd

gh

Re
s

M
as

ea

te

ut

rs

rc
h

0%

2.3%
14.2%

100%

5.7%
25.8%

80%
60%

83.4%

68.6%

40%
20%
0%

Home

International

Yes

No

Prefer not to say

Question 2
Have you ever been diagnosed with a mental illness (e.g. depression, social anxiety,
bipolar disorder, etc.)?
Between 30% and 41% of participants stated that they have been diagnosed with a
mental illness. The highest figure for diagnosed mental illness can be observed with
undergraduate participants (41.1%). There is a significant drop to 19.4% in
international students diagnosed with mental illness as compared to 43.6%
diagnosed home students. Although this survey was not able to tease apart the
reasons for that drop, it would be interesting to explore whether cultural differences
and stigma affect whether international students seeks help and get diagnosed as
often as home students.
Mental health diagnosis by Degree type
Home/International status

Mental health diagnosis by

1.2%

1.8%

100.0%

2.9%

80.0%

66.5%

56.0%

69.2%

60.0%

80%

0.8%

2.8%

100%

53.6%
79.7%

60%

40.0%
31.8%

20.0%

41.1%

29.6%

40%
43.6%

Yes

e
er
gr
ad
nd
U

Ta
u

gh

Re
s

M
as

ea

te

ut

rs

rc
h

0.0%

No

20%
0%

19.4%
Home

International

Yes

I dont know

No

Prefer not to say

Open Door Team (ODT)

Question 3
Are you aware of any of the below organisations/services offering advice and support
on mental health difficulties?
A high 71% of participants were aware of the ODT. PGTs appear to be significantly
less aware of the service with only 54% compared to 83.3% of UGs. Similarly,
international students appear to be significantly less aware of the ODT only 53% of
international participants were aware of the ODT, compared to a high 81.1% of home
students.
Awareness of The Open Door Team

29%
Yes

No

71%

Awareness of The Open Door Team by Degree type

Home/International status

Awareness of The Open Door Team by

1 2 3 4
0 . 80. 60 . 40 . 20 . 00 .
0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

100.0%
3

1
30.9%
69.1%

16.7%
83.3%

46.4%
53.6%

18.9%
47.0%

80.0%
60.0%
81.1%
40.0%

e
ut

rs

20.0%

M
as

er
gr
ad

te

rc
h
ea

0.0%

Ta
u

nd

gh

Re
s

Yes

53.0%

Home

International

Yes

No

No

Question 4
Have you ever used any of the following advice and support services in relation to
any mental health difficulties?
Despite the fact that the participants
seem well aware of the ODT, only
35% of them have actually used the
service. Once again, PGTS access the
service the least while UGs access it
the most. Only 21.7% of international
participants answered that they have
used ODT, compared to 43.1% of
home participants.

Use of The Open Door Team

36%
No

Yes
65%

Use of The Open Door Team by Degree Type

Home/International Status

100.0%

Use of The Open Door Team by

100.0%

80.0%

69.1%

53.5%

76.4%

60.0%

80.0%

40.0%
30.9%

20.0%

46.5%

23.6%

56.9%
78.3%

60.0%
40.0%

ut

rs
t

nd

gh

20.0%

21.7%

er
gr

M
as

ad

te

rc
h

Re
s

ea
Ta
u

Yes

43.1%

0.0%

No

0.0%

Home
Yes

International
No

Question 5
If you have accessed any of the support services, how easy was it for you to find
information about these services?
The Open Door Team
14%

Very easy

Easy

4%

30%
Neither easy nor Difficult
Somewhat difficult
16%

Very difficult

37%

Question 6
If you have accessed any of the support services, what was the length of time
between booking the appointment and being seen for the first time?
Length to first appointment- ODT
2%
2%
2 weeks or less

2-4 weeks

19%
1-3 months 36%
3-6 months

more than 6 months

42%

Question 7
If you have accessed any of the support services, overall, how satisfied were you
with all aspects of the service?
Satisfaction with The Open Door Team
very satisifed

Very dissatisfied

satisfied

Neither 15%
satisified nor dissatisfied
26%

Somewhat dissatisfied

25%
22%
13%

Overall, 48% of all participants who have used ODT have said that they were
satisfied with the service, while 39% of participants were dissatisfied with the
service.

Unity Health Centre (UHC)

Question 3
Are you aware of any of the below organisations/services offering advice and support
on mental health difficulties?
Awareness of Unity Health Centre

20%
Yes

No

80%

80% of our participants were aware

that UHC provides support for
mental health difficulties and the
awareness
is
almost
evenly
distributed across the three degree
types (with awareness of PGRs
slightly
lower).
Also,
71%
of
international compared to 85.3%
home participants were aware of
UHC. Overall, awareness that UHC
can
provide
support regarding
mental health difficulties appears to

Awareness of University Health Centre by Degree Type

Home/International Status

100.0%

24.6%

19.2%

75.4%

80.8%

16.4%

Awareness of University Health Centre by

100.0%

14.7%

29.3%

80.0%
60.0%
40.0%

83.6%

80.0%
60.0%

20.0%

85.3%

70.7%

40.0%
ut

rs
U

Ta
u

nd

gh

M
as

er
gr
ad

te

rc
h
ea
Re
s

0.0%

Yes

No

20.0%
0.0%

Home
Yes

International
No

Question 4
Have you ever used any of the following advice and support services in relation to
any mental health difficulties?

Interestingly, although participants

seem to be well aware of UHC, they
don't appear to be accessing it for
support regarding mental health
difficulties (only 24% answered that
they did). Once again, the figures
are the lowest for PGTs and highest
for UGs, while PGRs fall in between.
Only
16.1%
of
international
participants were ware of UHC
compared to almost the double
figure (28.9%) of home participants.

Use of the University Health Centre

24%
Yes

No

76%

Use of the University Health Centre by Degree Type

Home/International Status

100.0%

Use of the University Health Centre by

100.0%

80.0%

78.0%

60.0%

68.4%

84.4%

40.0%
22.0%

20.0%

80.0%

83.9%

60.0%

31.6%

15.6%

71.1%

0.0%
ut

rs
M
as
t

0.0%

nd

gh

Ta
u

Yes

28.9%

20.0%

er
gr
ad

te

rc
h
ea
Re
s

40.0%

Home

No

Yes

16.1%
International
No

Question 5
If you have accessed any of the support services, how easy was it for you to find
information about these services?
Ease of information- Unity Health Centre
10%

4%
30%

Very easy

Easy

Neither easy nor Difficult

18%

Somewhat difficult

Very difficult

37%

Question 6
If you have accessed any of the support services, what was the length of time
between booking the appointment and being seen for the first time?
7

Length to first appointment- Uni health centre

1%
6%1%
2 weeks or less

2-4 weeks

1-3 months

3-6 months

more than 6 months

32%
59%

Question 7
If you have accessed any of the support services, overall, how satisfied were you
with all aspects of the service?
Satisfaction with Uni Health Centre
very satisifed

satisfied

Neither12%
satisified19%
nor dissatisfied

Somewhat dissatisfied

18%
Very dissatisfied
16%

36%

55% of all participants that have accessed UHC in regards to mental health issues
were satisfied with the service, while 30% were not.

Summary of results for other services

Summary of how easy information is for each service

tr
e

Ce
n

ni

H
ea

Co
lle
g

Tu
ke

lth

O
th

er

Ce
n

N
H

tr
e

W
el
fa
re

s
rv
ic
e
Se
t
en

ud
St

Th
e

D
is
a

O
pe

bi
lit
y

D
oo

Se

Te
a

rv
ic
e

80.0%
67.8%
67.0%
70.0%
60.0%
50.5%
49.3%
48.6%
47.1%
50.0%
43.2%
40.0%
31.5%
30.2%
28.8%
25.9% 25.2%
24.7% 26.9%
24.8%
30.0%
21.9%
21.2%
17.4%
17.6%
15.6%
14.5%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%

Easy combined

Neither easy nor Difficult

Difficult combined

Summary of length to first appointment across services

Tu
ke

Ce
n

tr
e

O
th

er

N
H

tr
e

H
ea
ni
U

Co
lle
g

lth

Ce
n

W
el
fa
re

rv
ic
e

Se
St

ud

en

Se
bi
lit
y
D
is
a

Th
e

O
pe

D
oo

Te
a

rv
ic
e

90.0%
77.8%
77.4%
80.0%
70.0%
59.1%
60.0%
49.2%
45.0%
44.1%
50.0% 41.6%
36.1%
35.0%
32.3%
32.3%
40.0%
30.0%
18.5%
17.3%
16.1%
15.0%
11.8% 15.0%
12.3%
20.0%
11.1%
6.5%
6.1%
5.6%
5.6%
5.0%
3.1%
1.7%
1.2%
10.0%
1.2%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
2.1%
3.1%
11.8%

2 weeks or less

2-4 weeks

3-6 months

more than 6 months

1-3 months

Summary of satisfaction of services

er
O
th

ni

H
ea

Tu
ke

S
N
H

tr
e
lth

e
co

le
g

t
en

St

ud

Ce
n

w
el
fa
re

s
rv
ic
e
se

se
bi
lit
y
D
is
a

Th
e

O
pe

D
oo

Te
a

rv
ic
e

66.6%
65.2%
70.0%
61.2%
55.2%
60.0%
47.5%
44.9%
50.0%
39.3%
38.7%
36.2%
40.0%
32.3%
29.0%
29.3%
26.1%
23.8%
23.8%
30.0%
18.9%
15.5%
14.9%
13.4%
20.0%
9.5%
8.6%
10.0%
0.0%

Satisfied Combined

Neither Satisified nor Dissatisfied

Dissatisfied Combined

Research students
In the open comment section of the survey, research students often pointed out the
isolation and pressure they feel, stating that the departments should be more
involved in providing information and signposting research students to appropriate
services. Moreover, several research students have mentioned the issues of stigma
and inability to talk to their supervisor and colleagues about mental health issues.
College Welfare Teams
Students that had used the college welfare teams for mental health advice and
support, pointed out in the open comment section that although the welfare team
members are usually very nice and helpful they cannot provide professional help that
is sometimes needed. The students complained about instances where a welfare
tutor (and the students) are left to deal with suicidal housemates, or are told by the
Open Door Team to talk to their tutors when the student feels they should be talking
to a professional.

Comparison with other Russell Group Universities

We have compared mental health services and resources at the University of York
and 4 other Russell Group Universities Leeds, Durham, Oxford and Cambridge. The
following is an independently produced summary of what services and resources
each of the universities offer for their students experiencing mental health
difficulties. As you can see there are some gaps in our provision, especially compared
to the University of Leeds whose counselling services are more diverse and tailored
to students needs than they appear to be at York. The summary of all provisions at
all five universities is provided as an appendix.
Cambridg
e

Durham

Leeds

Oxford

York

10

Counsellin
g
Services-

One to One

Group

Emergency/Cris
is support

Drop in
info/signposting

X
X
*the
service
exists but
is not
publicly
advertised

Mental Health
Advisers

Workshops

Other
X
External
Agency
Resource
List
Self-Help
Resources

Self-help
leaflets/cards

Self-help
workbooks
Self-help book
list

X
X

Self-help
website list

X
X

PeerSupport
Group
Night-time
Talking
Service
Student
Advice
Service
Students
Union
Societies
Details

Podcasts/Apps

X
X
X

X
Focused
group
counselling
and longerterm group
counselling
available

Drop in
to calm
sessions

Student
Minds &
Mind Your
Head
Campaign

Recommendations
Open Door Team

11

From the results, especially the open comment section, it appears that students have
a different perception of what the ODT provides and who it is for than the ODT does.
Therefore, it would be highly beneficial if ODT sent out a clearer message to inform
students why and when to access the ODT. The ODT has made it clear on a number
of occasions that it is not for long term therapy but neither is it for minor distress. It
doesnt seem that students are aware of the fine differences that separate a low and
medium intensity crisis (nor can they really be expected to), and are more prone to
experience their issues as intense and requiring immediate attention. Furthermore,
the open comment section of this survey shows a trend of students urgently seeking
ODT help only to be booked onto an appointment 4 weeks later. By that time the
problem is gone and the student does not need help any more (probably does not
cancel the appointment). The student believes the ODT has failed them and has not
provided support when they most needed it, while the ODT faces the problem of too
many students not showing up for their appointments. There are different groups of
students with mental health difficulties at the University those less resilient but
otherwise healthy, students who suffer from mental health difficulties that can be
managed by a service like the ODT, and students with mental illness and they do
not seem to perceive the support they receive as enough.
We recommend the following:
1) More diverse services - we believe that diversification of services would go a
long way to ease some of the current issues, such as long waiting times and
students then not turning up. We are aware that the ODT already offers
workshops and group therapy but more frequent and diverse workshops
targeted to particular groups of students and at particular times of the year
would be better. Also some form of short drop in sessions to deal with minor
crisis would be advisable (similar model exists at the University of Leeds), or
perhaps group sessions in form of a caf.
2) More diverse lengths of appointments - we recommend that the length of
appointments be carefully considered. 45 to 60 minutes might be too long for
someone who is not in a crisis, while 60 minutes may not be enough for
someone severely distressed. Considering that students come with a wide
variety of needs and distress level, we recommend that the lengths of sessions
reflect that.
3) Online evaluation we recommend that an online evaluation system be put in
place (similar or the same as the one that is already given to students when
they come to ODT) in order to speed up the process and give students a sense
that they are being taken seriously. Then, those students that are not in a
crisis situation should be signposted to different options group therapy,
workshop, drop in sessions and online resources. If after a week (the length is
up to professionals to decide) the symptoms are still the same they will be
given an appointment (similar to how you dont immediately give someone
antibiotics but rather wait to see if the symptoms persist).
4) More information, especially for international students - the data clearly show
that international students are less aware and use the services less than home
students. Clearer publicity would be beneficial. Although the ODT website
provides ample of useful links, what is actually needed is the information to be
more summarised and explained to help students make sense of all of the
information and choose the most appropriate source for themselves. This is
especially crucial when it comes to international students who may have
language barriers and come for cultures where mental health issues are dealt
with in different ways to the UK.

12

Unity Health Centre

Unity Health has put a lot of effort into diversifying its services and listening to
student feedback, and the results of this survey clearly reflect this as the overall
satisfaction rate with the services is quite high. However, when it comes to mental
health the open comment section of the survey indicates that some GPs seem to be
more sensitive to patients with mental health difficulties than others (or at least that
is how students perceive them). Therefore, it should be the overall aim for all GPs to
ensure that their patients (with mental health difficulties) are clearly informed on
what the GP can do for them and how the course of treatment they are
recommending would help their condition.
Moreover, it is not always clear to students (especially international students) how a
GP surgery can help them with mental health. We recommend that a section of the
website be dedicated to information about that, clearly outlining what to expect and
what support can be received. Also, students that are given medication should
receive more information. We fully understand that UHC GPs work very hard and do
not have a lot of time, but it should be a basic requirement that patients are properly
and fully informed of all benefits but also side effects of medication they are about to
be given. There is a large number of anecdotal evidence that if this is not done,
students who experience side effects will simply stop taking medication causing their
symptoms to even worsen and they will develop a negative attitude towards
medication.
Finally, we recommend that the referral system to external services be made clearer
and consistently available to all GPs in the practice. At the moment, the open
comment section of this survey suggests that there is inconsistency between GPs in
their knowledge of external services available to students with mental health
difficulties.
General Recommendations
Overall, there is a great need for better communication between all services on and
off campus. When ODT and UHC are not enough and students need to be referred to
other services, there seem to be many discrepancies as some ODT and UHC
members are more aware than others of what to advise students and what services
are out there. Therefore, there is a strong need for better overall signposting and
coordination.
Also, we have a recommendation for the University. Considering the increase in
diagnosis of clinical depression in the last two years, the increase in eating disorders,
and the strain on the ODT, it is highly advised that the University considers mental
health difficulties more seriously. It is true that the University is an academic
institution and dealing with mental health is not its primary focus, nevertheless, good
mental health is a prerequisite for productive and successful young minds and the
rise of mental health difficulties among student population cannot be ignored.
Services, such as the ODT and UHC, should be expanded to meet the greater
demand.
Furthermore, there is a need for diversification of all services in order to meet the
diverse students needs. One avenue of achieving this is also establishing stronger
partnerships and collaborations between the colleges, relevant services and the
students unions (YUSU and GSA).
13

May 2015
Jelena Horvatic (GSA President)
Fran Griffin (Mind Your Head intern)
Ken Leach (GSA General Manager)

APPENDIX
Russell Group Universities support for student Mental Health
Mental health issues in students- facts and figures
In research conducted by the national union of students (NUS) they found that 20%
of students in higher education considered themselves to have a mental health
problem, with 13% having suicidal thoughts. In addition, 92% of respondents
identified as having had feeling of mental distress, including feeling down, stressed
and demotivated. The main causes for these feelings include coursework (65%),
exams (54%) and financial difficulties (47%)1.
With approximately 50% of young people entering higher education, and the median
age of higher education students overlapping the peak age of onset for mental
health difficulties, we should expect to find high levels of first onset mental distress
in universities2.
Universities focused on:
Research has been conducted on four universities within the Russell Group, in order
to understand the mental health support services provided for students at each
establishment. The information available on each universitys support services are
collated below and compared to that provided by the University of York.

Cambridge
Durham
Leeds
Oxford
York

References:

14

1.

http://www.nus.org.uk/en/news/20-per-cent-of-students-consider-themselvesto-have-a-mental-health-problem/

2.

http://www.studentminds.org.uk/uploads/3/7/8/4/3784584/peer_support_for_st
udent_mental_health.pdf

The University of Cambridge

A collegiate university, with pastoral care from college staff. 6 main resources offered
to students.
1. Counselling Service
o Counselling appointments- up to six sessions at 50mins each. If a longer
period of counselling is required then group sessions can be offered.
o Mental Health Advisors- work in the counselling service and provide
support to students in crisis or those who experience moderate to
severe mental health difficulties.
o Workshops- generally one-off events and do not require any ongoing commitment.
o

Examples include exam preparation, self-help with CBT, understanding and managing
panic attacks.
Focused groups- for people who want help with a particular issue- longer course.

Examples include dealing with the loss of a parent, managing your mood and healthyself-esteem.
Longer counselling groups- offer support over a period of several weeks. Sharing of life
issues in a group, for 10 weeks (undergraduate) or 14 weeks (postgraduate).

2. External Agency resources

o List of external agencies contact details- split into sub-sections by
location, from the University, in local community and national
organisations.
3. Self-help resources
o Mindfulness program- aimed at encouraging better mental health
through mindfulness practice. Pilot study to see if mindfulness builds
the resilience of students.
o Self-help leaflets- information and resources for anxiety, depression,
eating disorder, insomnia and others. Links to externally produced selfhelp leaflets.
o Self-help book lists- split into sub-sections by type of problem.
o Self-help website list- split into sub-sections by type of problem.
4. Student Advice Service
o Advice service on student matters- Mental health and eating disorders
sections with links to external resources and university counselling
service.
5. Link-line
o Student led talking service- by phone, skype or email for any
information about student life/campus or for issues and mental health
problems. Available every night of term.
6. Peer-support
o Peer2Peer campaign- student led support services within colleges. Can
contact via college or email.
Primary Reference:
http://www.counselling.cam.ac.uk/
15

16

Durham University
A collegiate university, with pastoral care from college staff. Mental health policy at
University level. 4 main resources for students, split between University and Student
union led.
1. Counselling Service
o Emergency drop in appointments- for 30mins (first come first served)
o Counselling appointments- up to six sessions at 50mins each after initial
consultation
o Recommendations- on what to do whilst on counselling waiting list
(bibliotherapy- list of self-help books to buy, links to self-help leaflets,
workbooks, relaxation podcast, body relaxation programme).
2. External agency resources
o List of external agencies contact details- split into sub-sections by type
of help that may be needed (e.g. for addictions, depression etc.)
3. Self-help resources
o Information leaflets- University produced advice and guidance for
university worries such as exam stress, homesickness, loneliness, sleep
problems, understanding depression and others
o Student work-books- taken from the Centre for Clinical Interventions
(Australian public mental health service). These include modules on
different subjects such as depression, assertiveness, body image etc.
Each workbook contains information on the difficulty, plus space to
record feelings and behaviours relating to the difficulty. Resources are
given for external support also.
o Flow chart on how to help peers that you are worried about- who to talk
to and what help to give.
o Work smart campaign- Student union led campaign to provide support
to students during periods of exam stress and whilst writing their
dissertations. Links to external resources on stress management, how to
get a job with a 2:2 and information on academic skills.
o Mental Health podcasts- relaxation and sleep podcasts from the mental
health foundation and body mind relaxation podcast from the University
of Limerick.
4. Nightline
o Student led talking service- by phone or online for any information about
student life/campus or for issues and mental health problems. Available
every night of term.
o Number for nightline is on Student cards.
Primary Reference:
https://www.dur.ac.uk/counselling.service/students/

17

The University of Leeds

8 main services for students, including a student-led Mental Health campaign. Not a
collegiate University.
1. Counselling Service
o Drop in appointments- daily information and sign-posting service, not
meant as an emergency service.
o Drop in to Calm sessions- two sessions every Friday of 30minute group
sessions to learn 8 minutes to calm. Podcast available also.
o Counselling appointments- up to four sessions of 50mins each (can
return for further sessions).
o Groups and Workshops- Some need referral through counselling service,
other groups are open to all. 5 groups available including meditation,
postgraduate support and feel better faster groups.
2. Mental Health Team
o Mental health support- Team to offer support on moderate to severe and
enduring diagnosed or emerging mental health difficulty. Can put
together a mental health support plan (MHSP) or Crisis support plan
(CSP). Offers drop in sessions.
3. External agency resources
o A-Z guide- split into sub-sections according to type of problem.
4. Self Help
o Self-help podcasts- On calming techniques, mindfulness and meditation.
o Head-start cards- 10 cards giving information and advice on matters
such as stress, low moods, panic, grief.
5. Student Advice Centre
o Drop in sessions- for getting information and advice on issues.
o Appointments- for more complex issues.
6. Nightline
o Student led talking service- no advice given, just information and
listening services.
7. Peer Support
o Trained students to give support to others- available for anyone within
the University for any range of issues. Trained students signpost to
other services if student needs further help/counselling.
8. Societies
o Mind matters- provides student-led support services, holds talks in local
schools, hosts fundraisers for Mental Health charities and runs
campaigns which change people's attitudes towards Mental Health.
o Psyched - society of psychiatry and psychology students- reducing
stigma of mental health issues and increase awareness.

Primary Reference:
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/info/20026/choosing_leeds/1901/health_welfare_and_safety

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The University of Oxford

A collegiate University with pastoral care from college staff. 8 main services for
students, including a student-led Mental Health campaign. Mental health policy at
University level.
1. Counselling Service
o Counselling appointments- Maximum number of sessions, or length per
session not given.
o Workshops- group sessions based on mindfulness, overcoming panic,
sleep difficulties etc.
o Group counselling- referred on from counselling service for weekly 90
minute sessions.
2. External Resources
o List of external agencies details- split into sections by emergency, nonemergency, local and national resources.
3. Self-Help
o Self-help external resources- sub-sections by problem. Lists books, films,
apps and websites.
4. Peer support
o Within colleges- Trained students for talking services. Over 350 trained
peers available in every year.
5. Student Advice service
o Student Union led Advice- for students to talk over their worries in
private and for information to be given.
6. Nightline
o Student led talking service- Information and listening service by phone,
skype or in person.
7. Student Minds
o Eating Disorder support group- weekly meetings to support those with,
or recovering from eating disorders. Run by trained student volunteers
to encourage talking. Drop-in sessions.
8. Mind Your Head Campaign
o Student-led campaign- aims to raise awareness and reduce the stigma
of mental health issues. Website with students stories, blogs and list of
resources.
Primary Reference:
http://www.ox.ac.uk/students/welfare/counselling

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The University of York

A collegiate University with pastoral care provided by college staff. 5 main services
provided for students mental health provisions.
1. Counselling Service
o Open Door Team- up to 6 counselling sessions after initial consultation.
Case management for those with a diagnosed mental health difficulty &
CBT sessions of 50 minutes each.
o Workshops- Group sessions on topics such as procrastination, anxiety
and mindfulness.
2. External Resources
o List of external agencies contacts-sub-sections by emergency and nonemergency.
3. Self-help
o Self-help pages- Information on multiple issues such as depression,
body image, academic pressures and schizophrenia.
4. Student Advice service
o Student advice and support service- provided by the students union.
o Student support hub- first point of contact for advice and help.
5. Nightline
o Student led talking service- Information and listening service by phone,
email or in person.
o External links- sub-sections by problem encountered.

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