As students start or return to university for the 2021/22 academic year, we publish a new report exploring the key mental health challenges students have faced in 2021, how they are feeling about the upcoming year and what support they feel they need from their university to better manage their mental health.
You can download the report here.
One in five people who text our Shout 85258 support service for immediate help with their mental health are students. So far in 2021, Shout has taken around 78,000 conversations with 27,600 students in higher education.
Our report analyses data from a sample of 12,100 conversations to identify the experiences and needs of university students in mental distress across the UK in 2021, as well as responses from a survey of 627 student texters detailing their concerns for the upcoming academic year and how they want their university to support them.
We have combined this data analysis with insight and expertise into the student experience from our team of clinicians, testimony from our Shout Volunteers, feedback from student texters and commentary from student mental health experts.
Key findings include:
- So far this year, 27,600 students have sought support for their mental health from Shout 85258, with anxiety (40%), depression (33%) and suicidal ideation (28%) the most commonly discussed issues
- Students seek support round the clock, with 75% texting Shout outside of the hours of 9am-5pm
- Looking ahead, 61% of students told us they were worried about the new 2021/22 academic year, with their main concerns being loneliness (74%), relationships (72%), workload (65%) and finances (52%)
- Students are also worried about the future impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, with anxieties around further restrictions (30%) and disruption to in-person teaching (27%) featuring heavily
- Three-quarters (75%) of students surveyed want their university to provide text message mental health support