A COMMISSIONER for student mental health should be appointed to tackle mental health in schools, colleges and universities, according to a leading University of Worcester chief.
Pro Vice Chancellor for Students Ross Renton made the plea in a report published by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) and Brightside last Thursday.
A new mental health chief would be tasked with cutting through the organisational divides to compel schools, colleges, universities, employers and the NHS to be proactive on the issue.
One of those challenges is a growing crisis in child and student mental health and the need for a more co-ordinated approach.
In the report, Mr Renton said: “According to the Children’s Society, serious mental health problems affect about one in ten children, with only 30 per cent receiving appropriate interventions. These unaddressed issues have, unsurprisingly, materialised within higher education.
“There has been a significant increase in demand for support services, with the Institute for Public Policy Research showing a fivefold increase in first-year students disclosing mental health problems within a decade.
“While it is right to recognise the significant commitment of institutions to support these students, it is often too little, too late.”
Mr Renton said a Commissioner for Student Mental Health would cut through red-tape between organisations; for example, the issue of students in England only able to be registered with one GP practice.
“Many students are at their university address in semester time and then return home in holidays,” he said.
“If a student is being medicated for a mental health condition then they need to be able to access services both in their university town and at home.”
“Mental ill health is something that is not going to go away, so we must have a more robust national response to ensure we give our young people the best possible start and access to the services they need, when they need them.
“There must be better mechanisms in schools to prepare pupils for university life and we need a more sustainable system of GP referrals to appropriate services.”
In 2004, the University of Worcester was one of the first universities to appoint specialist Mental Health Advisors, who now work alongside the university’s BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy)-accredited counselling service.
Worcester is one of a small number of universities with an identified suicide prevention strategy, bringing together the perspectives and expertise of staff from across the university, as well as external partners including Worcestershire County Council, Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, Samaritans and Community First.
The university is working with other universities and national charities to support similar developments at other universities.
