World Mental Health Day 2022: Peterborough’s new university supporting students with their mental health

Peterborough’s new university is supporting its students with their mental health after the health service revealed that access to NHS mental health services for 18 to 25-year-olds was almost a fifth higher in 2021/22 than before the pandemic.

October 10, 2022, is World Mental Health Day – a day for mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma.

Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) Peterborough, located on the Embankment, off Bishop’s Road, welcomed its first cohort of students to the university in September this year.

‘A wealth of wellbeing support for students’

The university has a team of trained counsellors who students can speak to about their mental health concerns, and a ‘cause for concern’, where staff can ask the counselling team to contact students directly to ensure they are safe and are receiving the mental health support they need.

Alongside this, it is offering ‘mental health first aid training’ to staff, and supports students throughout their studies by granting them extensions to deadlines where appropriate.

The university’s ‘student and library services’ helpdesk counter and personal development tutor are other points of call for available to students in need of mental health support.

Principal of ARU Peterborough, Professor Ross Renton, said: “At ARU Peterborough, there is a wealth of wellbeing support for students and staff.

"We have a dedicated student support team; this includes access to specialist counselling and targeted campaigns to support mental wellbeing. There are also resources to support people to improve their mental health and wellbeing.

"We are keen to encourage students and staff to talk to us and know that they are not alone.”

The number of young people accessing NHS mental health has increased, but the health service has seen a rise of almost a fifth in people being referred to mental health crisis services compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Record numbers of people are accessing talking therapies, with official NHS figures showing 1.2 million did in 2021/22 – up 21.5 per cent from 1.02 million in 2020/21.

‘The NHS is here for you’

Claire Murdoch, NHS England’s national mental health director, said: “Young people’s lives have faced enormous disruption over the last two years and life for students at university can be incredibly hard, which is exactly why NHS staff and partners have worked flat out to expand the help and mental health support available to young people.

“It is now easier than ever for students going to university to access help so please don’t be afraid to speak up.

“You may feel that you don’t want to burden others or are worried about what they might think, but the truth is – people care about you and they will want to help you.

“So I would urge anyone returning to universities in the coming weeks – or indeed any other young person - to seek out mental health support as soon as they need it because the NHS is here for you.”