Choosing to disclose… but then what

Dr Matthews’ blog addresses the need for unified, student-centric support where personal information can be safely obtained and utilised to best help the student, and prevent all kinds of discrimination from occurring.

DUTY OF CARE

University can be an especially turbulent time in a young persons life as they move towards adult development, and as such, universities have a duty of care which they must uphold.

Mental health practitioners and university staff must work hand in hand at every stage. This ensures students are offered an environment that caters to their comfort and safety when confronting their mental health issues.

The Challenges Of Disclosure

Full disclosure is important to dictate the next steps in helping a student, and figuring out what will be the most effective form of support.

It takes a great deal of courage for a student to come forward and disclose the things they are struggling with. Mental health disorders, such as depression or anxiety, can feel isolating. In many cases, discrimination external to the university has made it hard for students to feel comfortable speaking openly about their struggles.

The possibility that discrimination can be faced after disclosure, and even increase, is truly frightening.

Openness followed by rejection or judgement can be a catalyst. It prevents students from feeling comfortable taking the next crucial steps to get help, and can have disastrous consequences.

The REality For Students

UCAS encourages students to disclose their struggles with mental health issues prior to starting at university. While the intention is to prepare the university for the support they need to offer their new students, it is not quite as simple as showing up and all problems being solved.

Problems include long waiting lists, underfunded wellbeing and disability teams, cuts in the NHS, and, importantly, the students themselves often not knowing what or where to access support. All this can get in the way of students getting access to much-needed support. .

THe WAY FORWARD

UMO’s MHNDWP (Mental Health, Neurodiversity, Disability and Wellbeing Passport) could help make it significantly easier for students to disclose their key information, give university staff and mentors an up-to-date insight into their mood and mental health triggers, and forge an accessible and straightforward connection between student and staff via the passport app, OneSpace.

Of course, this cannot account for lack of funding to wellbeing and disability teams, and this problem can only be solved through additional grants from the government and a major public spotlight on the tireless efforts and important work that these teams undertake.

UMO White Paper

The Role And Impact Of Specialist Mental Health Mentoring On Students In UK Higher Education Institutes

UMO’s mission is to ensure that those students are fully supported throughout their time at university and that barriers to successful academic outcomes are minimised so each student fulfils their potential. Our White Paper highlights the importance of specialist mental health mentoring in improving outcomes for university students.

Mental Health AT University

Figures released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) show that 26,000 students in England who began studying for their first degree in 2015 did not make it beyond the first year.

The mental health and wellbeing of students in higher education has always been of great concern, and figures such as the above help us to understand why intervention, and personalised support for students is so game-changing. Such is the nature of UMO’s Specialist Mental Health Mentoring services

The Role Of Specialist Mentoring

The aim for UMO mentors is to make sure their sessions align with the student’s busy academic schedule, and create a safe space for meaningful dialogue and connection between the mentor and mentee. They will work alongside the student, taking into account their current academic performance, style of learning, environment, and the state of their mental health and wellbeing, with the aim of helping the student to implement effective strategies and coping mechanisms to use in their day-to-day lives.

At the end of mentoring, students will be able to step confidently into the next stages of their lives with a whole new outlook, and authority over their mental health and wellbeing.

The Student Perspective

“I have learnt about how to study well and keep healthy. I have learnt how to seek help before things get out of control. I have learnt the role of therapists and understand people who can help and who are available such as mentors, therapists and GPs. I better understand myself as well.”

Student

The student perspective is vital to the success and development of UMO’s services, and as such, surveys were conducted by UMO investigating the benefit of their Specialist Mental Health Mentoring between 2011 and 2019. A total of 280 responses (17.5%) were received from a total of 1600+ students receiving mentoring during that period.

Not only did these surveys demonstrate an unequivocal benefit to student grades, and a boost to attendance, but students reported feeling more confident in their own abilities post-mentoring, and indicated that they had been successful in learning and implementing new strategies to combat issues with their mental health and wellbeing.

"Having someone who understands both the university side and the mental health side has helped so much. This support doesn’t exist anywhere else in the university structure for me. Without my mentor’s advice and encouragement, I would have dropped out. It has been so helpful to know I have someone on my side while navigating lecturers who don’t understand, and the overcrowded disability services.”