Students stay silent about mental health problems, survey shows

Mental health charities fear students are suffering in silence. Photograph: Peter Lawson/Eastnews Press Agency

Universities should do more to encourage students with mental health problems to seek help, a leading charity has warned.

More than a quarter (26%) of students who say they experience mental health problems do not get treatment and only one in 10 use counselling services provided by their university, according to a National Union of Students (NUS) study.

Of the students surveyed by the union, one in five say they experienced mental health problems while at university. This is in line with national statistics estimating that in any one year 23% of British adults experience a mental disorder.

Those who do experience mental health problems cite coursework deadlines (65%) and exams (54%) as triggers of distress. Financial difficulties (47%), pressures about "fitting in" (27%) and homesickness (22%) also contribute to mental ill health.

Stress is one of the most common symptoms of distress (80%), with many students also reporting a lack of energy or motivation (70%), anxiety (55%) and insomnia (50%). Some 38% experience panic, while 14% consider self-harm and 13% report suicidal thoughts.

NUS researchers admit that their survey was self-selecting and may exaggerate the prevalence of mental health problems among students. But Hannah Paterson, NUS Disabled Students' Officer, says the "primary concern" is that very few of the students experiencing distress speak about their problem.

Of those who do experience mental health problems, 64% do not use any formal services for advice and support.

Students are more likely to tell their friends and family about feelings of anxiety, than they are to approach a doctor, academic or university counsellor.

Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind, says this may be because of the stigma attached to mental illnesses. He adds that universities should do more to reach out to students.

"Higher education institutions need to ensure not just that services are in place to support mental wellbeing, but that they proactively create a culture of openness where students feel able to talk about their mental health and are aware of the support that's available.

"Opening up to friends and family can help those feeling stressed or anxious, but anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts or consistently feeling down may have an enduring mental health problem, so it's best they visit their GP. Nobody should suffer alone."

Poppy Jaman, chief executive of Mental Health First Aid England says the NUS' findings are unsurprising: "The student community is considered high risk for mental ill health, with exams, intense studying and living away from home for the first time all contributing factors.

"Where symptoms of poor mental health are spotted early and appropriate support and treatment is put in place the subsequent rate of recovery is significantly improved. Much more needs to be done within educational settings to improve the prevention and intervention of mental ill health."

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The school is a health time bomb, report warns at the start of the school week of market

Time bomb health among children who grow up do not walking to school could cost the country billions, says the report must try harder through the streets living on charity.

Children's fears are removed or flattened on the way to school, as well as time constraints, resulted in a major change in attitudes towards walking to school.

And it ceased to be the norm to the exception within a generation, according to a major new report by the living streets charity.

Eight in ten (81 per cent) of parents of primary school students walked to school themselves.

Now, despite the rise in rates of obesity among children, more than one quarter (27%) of parents automatically driving their children to school and more than one in five (21 per cent) have not considered to ensure that their children walk to school.

Health problems related to obesity like heart disease, diabetes and cancers will cost Britain 27 billion ￡ by 2015.

The mere fact of walk to school is not only good for children's physical health, but help to incorporate a good attitude to exercise and maintain good health.

It must be a key element of the Government's strategy to encourage the British to be more physically active, said streets alive.

Less than half [49 per cent] of the primary school children walk to school despite the majority (75%) live within two miles of the school.

One in five primary school children do not walk to school because their parents say they do not have the time to walk with them.

The problem is even worse in children from high school - with only 38 percent opting for walk to school.

And while children start going to school, with 59% of primary school students ready to walk up to 20 minutes each day, the interest fades as they age with only 37 percent of high school students prepared to do this.

The performance of the Government by encouraging children to walk to school has been "mixed" and it "must try harder", according to the report. "School trip for the previous Government policy was quickly abandoned with no replacement," he said.

Walking to school is not only beneficial to the physical and mental health, but help to reduce the congestion of traffic - with fewer cars making the curriculum - improve air quality and reduce carbon emissions", said the report.

And the militants are fighting to reverse the trend towards children leads to school - to ensure that more than half of students in primary schools will be walking to school again by 2017.

Tony Armstrong, Chief Executive Officer, living streets, said: "the overwhelming majority of our grans and grandparents walked to school, but over the generations, we see a steady decline to the point where, it seems, one-fifth of parents do not even think to ensure their child walking to school."? During this time obesity rates have more than doubled, even since I entered the school just about 20 years ago. ?

He added: "encourage walking to school can not only keep children today in good health, but makes for healthy adults in the future." We know that time pressed parents often see jump in the car as the best way to get children to school on time, but we do so at the risk of storing problems for them in the future. ?

Mother of three Laura Lashmar, Sheffield, loved walking to school with his mother and would not for her children to miss.? "Just as my mother walked me to school I did the same thing with my boys.? Walk with your children when they are young is a wonderful opportunity to spend good time together and to hear about their day. It's also a good way to show them the road safety skills, so when they are older and want to walk to school, alone or with friends, you can feel comfortable that they are familiar with the roads and how to cross roads.? It is important for children to develop independence and walk to school is a good way to build their confidence. ?

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