University in Peterborough say they will continue to support students with mental health problems
New students arrived in Peterborough this week and are advised to seek support if they're struggling
As students in Peterborough start freshers week, Anglia Ruskin university say they are equipped to support students going through mental health problems.
Students who disclose a mental health conditions to their University has increased rapidly over the past 10 years from under 1% in 2011 to 5.7% in 2022.
However, surveys of students where responses are confidential have found much higher rates of poor mental health than disclosed to universities. In a 2022 survey by the mental health charity Student Minds, 57% of respondents self-reported a mental health issue and 27% said they had a diagnosed mental health condition.
Senior councillor at Anglia Ruskin University, Julie Webb said:
"I think there's lots of support in place, but as human beings we're very scared of new things and new experiences. So firstly, there's the newness of everything. Secondly, there is what they're taking on.
"They're just about to commit to three or four years of study. Students also come with their home life, their past experiences. So actually there's an awful lot that they're having to cope with that seems to hit them very quickly in those first few weeks of arriving at university.
"I think there is an assumption that students come to counselling or student advice for exam exam stress and it would be great if that's all they were coming with, but they're not.
"They're human beings, so they have every experience in life that everybody else outside of university experiences work stress, relationship stress, as well as managing their studies.
"I've seen how university counselling services have changed. You know, they're much bigger. The variety of interventions that are now offered even with our services. We have counselling sessions, blocks of counselling sessions, one offs well-being check ins, we have a coaching service."
"We've always had really good support from higher up in the organisation to grow our department. To provide services for students and to recognise the shift in trends and needs, so we have grown."
To look at the services that are available at Anglia Ruskin University for supporting mental health and well-being you can visit www.aru.ac.uk/wellbeing