A new survey has found that 47% of higher education students have experienced mental health difficulties in the past year. The BBC reports that the research, carried out by the charity Humen, collected data from 7,200 students. The worrying statistics have led to calls for universities to do more to help students manage their mental wellbeing.
Although many institutions do now routinely offer counselling services, helplines, and wellbeing groups, the survey found that only 4% of staff had adequate training in the area. This has led many students to seek help outside of the university, although that is not always readily available for many.
Going into higher education can be a stressful and challenging time for anyone. It is usually the first time a teenager has lived away from home, where they will have always had their family and an established network of schoolfriends to rely on for company and emotional support.
For the 2020 cohort of students, there was little opportunity to replicate this social support network away from home, as strict lockdown rules meant that they spent much of the first year confined to halls, or learning remotely from their parents’ homes. The lifelong friendships that are often forged in those early weeks never had a chance to develop.
Coupled with extra financial pressures from higher fees and the rising cost of living, plus new academic demands, students have a lot to deal with, at a time when they don’t have much life experience behind them to draw on. It is not surprising that so many students are reporting difficulties at the present time.
Some students may feel inhibited from speaking out because of the fear of judgement, whether from their peers, teachers, or family. It can seem like everyone else is thriving in what can be a highly pressured environment, where the need to project a confident and capable image can feel pressing.
There are things that students, and anyone struggling with a mental health issue, can try to improve the situation. For the common conditions such as anxiety and depression, it can help immensely to stick to a regular sleeping routine, with late nights for work or socialising limited to just two or three times a week.
Eating a healthy well-balanced diet can help to promote a good sense of wellbeing, as can regular exercise and fresh air. However, sometimes a persistent low mood or worry can lead us to engage in unhelpful coping strategies, such as binge eating, under eating, or drinking too much.
This is why some people prefer to work with a hypnotherapist. This allows them to take a deeper approach to their problems, by working on techniques which help the mind recognise unhelpful thoughts and patterns of thinking.
They help the individual to clear away all the messy mental clutter that is holding them down, and to see situations in a more objective a positive light. Many people find that when they have learnt to handle negative emotions better, it can bring a new sense of lightness and purpose to their life.
If you are looking for a hypnotherapist in Wimbledon, please get in touch today.