Thursday 07-03-2019 - 09:00

Loneliness and social isolation at university are highlighted as a major issue for students with mental health issues

The results of a national survey on student mental health and wellbeing has now been released.

The ‘Being Well, Doing Well’ survey results gives a comprehensive look at what it’s like to be a student, and the unique challenges that they face with mental health.

Whilst this was a national survey, rather that being Bristol specific, this is a robust sample reflecting the broad student experience of mental health and wellbeing. Over the time that the survey was open it was completed by 13,000 students, including 1700 Bristol students.

The report issued following the research highlights ‘10 things you need to know about student mental health’, backing up each statement with statistics from the survey.

45% of students reported that they have supported someone who has experienced mental health problems since being at university, highlighting the importance of peer support. 

Another key finding highlighted that ‘Loneliness and social isolation at university are a major issue for students with mental health issues’. Indeed, almost 1 in 4 students from Bristol who responded to the survey reported that feelings of isolation and exclusion from friends worry them often or all the time.

Part of the motivation for setting up the Bristol SU Living Room was to tackle the isolation that some students feel. It was designed specifically to facilitate relaxation, community building and social activity.

The Bristol SU Living Room, described by Union Affairs Officer Stanford as “a place to just be”, has been very popular with students since opening in December. Stanford commented that “it’s programmed to be somewhere that isn’t for study or for teaching. It’s designed to be a space for getting away from that.”

Feedback from students so far has included comments such as “Just what was missing from our campus" and “Great to finally have a sense of community.”

There are a number of student campaigns which have focused on peer support, such as the recent ‘Looking after your Male Mate’ workshop as part of the Man Feelings campaign.

Another headline comment was that ‘students struggling with their mental health can wait for a substantial proportion of a term to access professional support’.

Tackling this is something which the Bristol SU officer team pushed to have included in the University’s new Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

Bristol SU are already working to tackle a number of the issues raised in the survey, and will keep these in mind as we work on future projects like Campus Heart and the Temple Quarter Project.

Bristol SU was one of 14 unions to participate in and promote the student survey in October and November 2017.

The survey was developed by Alterline, a creative market research agency specialising in higher education.

The summary document can be viewed online >> https://www.bristolsu.org.uk/resources/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-student-mental-health