Student mental health: 14 ways to tackle the crisis

EXCLUSIVE: With the number of college students needing mental health support rising, a new report suggests key changes

28th January 2021, 5:13pm

Student Mental Health: 14 Ways To Tackle The Crisis in Colleges

A report published by the Association of Colleges today, shared exclusively with Tes, shows that around 94 per cent of colleges in England had a student who attempted suicide in the past year.

It also reveals that 85 per cent of colleges in England have seen a significant increase in the number of students with mental health difficulties without diagnosis, with around 60 per cent of colleges saying that there had been a “significant increase” of 16- to 18-year-olds diagnosed with mental health conditions over the past three years.

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The report sets out 14 recommendations for policymakers, colleges and the Association of Colleges to support the mental health and wellbeing of young people and to tackle the crisis.

It calls on policymakers to create a national fund to support the transition and retention of 16-year-old students into colleges in September 2021, targeted at the most vulnerable learners, and to ensure all policies have an assessment of their impact on the mental health of staff and students.

Protecting mental health in colleges: The recommendations

For policymakers

Create a national fund to support the transition and retention of 16-year-old students in colleges in September 2021, targeted at the most vulnerable learners.
To ensure all policies have an assessment of their impact on the mental health of staff and students.
To ensure that investments and training opportunities relating to mental health and for education settings take specific account of the needs of further education colleges and their whole learner population.
To explore the potential to roll-out a social prescribing model with colleges using physical activity and other enrichment activities as a means of promoting overall student wellbeing.

For colleges

Develop additional support programmes for learners with mental health difficulties or those deemed vulnerable, in order to support smooth transition and aid retention.
To sign the AoC mental health charter and annually evidence how they meet all 11 commitments.
To engage with the local suicide prevention plan.
To ensure all staff have access to suicide awareness training.
Carry out regular surveys of their population in order to build an evidence base and understand the efficacy of different interventions.
Undertake annual staff wellbeing surveys.
Continue to engage with their local health commissioners to ensure they are involved in local and national initiatives aimed at protecting the mental health of young people and adults.

For the Association of Colleges

AoC should work with experts to develop specific resources on suicide prevention for FE colleges.
AoC should seek opportunities for further research linked to the mental health of learners in FE settings.
AoC should work with national stakeholders, especially the Department for Education, the Office for Students, the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, and ensure there is a good understanding of the FE setting and the needs of those who learn and work in colleges.