SUPPORTING STUDENTS’ MENTAL HEALTHSarah Moffat, Edinburgh University Students’ Association (EUSA)sarah.moffat@eusa.ed.ac.uk

OUTLINE• What is mental health?• Common issues for students• How can you support

someone?• Further support

WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH?

•Everyone has mental health•Mental health is not a binary, it is a spectrum•Mental health is fluid, & can change over time

MENTAL HEALTH IS A SPECTRUM

optimal mental wellbeing

minimal mental wellbeing

minimal mental illnessmaximum mental illness

People can have a mental illness, but be mentally well if they have successful coping strategies & support.

Equally, people without a mental illness can have very poor wellbeing if they face challenging circumstances and do not have coping strategies in place.

COMMON MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES

AMONG STUDENTS• Stress – Almost all students will experience some form of stress at

University, usually triggered by academic pressure or personal circumstances• Anxiety – While it’s normal to be nervous in stressful situations, people

with Anxiety often feel overly anxious under pressure (sometimes to the point of panic attacks) or experience low-level anxiety all the time, regardless of the situation.• Depression – Again, while it’s normally to sometimes feel down, these

feelings are categorised as Depression when they continue for over two weeks, recur regularly (e.g. once a month), or have significant negative impact on an individual’s quality of life.

SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY

•Feelings of panic, fear or uneasiness•Problems sleeping•Catastrophic Thinking (obsessing over the worst case scenario)•Heart palpitations•Difficulty concentrating•Panic attacks

HOW TO SUPPORT SOMEONE THROUGH A

PANIC ATTACK1. Find a quiet space away from people2. Encourage them to take slow, deep

breaths3. Reassure them they will be ok4. Provide an activity to redirect energy

SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION

•Exhaustion and lack of energy•Problems sleeping•Difficulty concentrating•Feelings of hopelessness•Loss of interest in activities which used to bring joy

HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT SOMEONE

A – Assess for riskL – Listen non-judgementallyG – Give reassurance & informationE – Encourage appropriate professional helpE – Encourage self-help and other support

Whether you notice someone is acting differently, or they disclose to you that they are struggling, you can use these five steps to support

them.

CREATING A POSITIVE CULTURE AROUND MENTAL

HEALTHMODELLING THE WAY

• Be open & honest about your own mental health• Check in regularly – give people the opportunity to discuss how they’re doing• Encourage self-care – Especially at stressful times, encourage people to rest & relax• Establish support networks – Set up a buddy scheme & encourage people to check in with each other

FURTHER SUPPORTThe Advice Place

Practical advice & support

• Main office in Potterrow but smaller office at KB

• 0131 650 9225

• advice@eusa.ed.ac.uk

• www.eusa.ed.ac.uk/advice

Student Counselling ServiceIn-person & online counselling; opportunity to talk through issues with someone who is neutral• Third floor of Library (main

office, but smaller offices on other campuses)

• 0131 650 4170• student.counselling@ed.ac.uk• www.ed.ac.uk/student-

counselling

FURTHER SUPPORTMindInformation & advice on all mental health related issues •www.mind.org.uk

Sarah Moffat (EUSA)General question on supporting students or mental health•sarah.moffat@eusa.ed.ac.uk

ANY QUESTIONS?sarah.moffat@eusa.ed.ac.uk