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FEATURE
LEADERSHIP
MIND THE
GAP
The University Mental Health Advisers Network’s (UMHAN) Sam Gamblin outlines the key areas for schools, SENCOs, parents and carers to be aware of when it comes to student anxiety and mental health, and the support available to students. tudent anxiety and mental health issues can be exacerbated by the transition from school to college or university, and the effects can be far-reaching. Recent headlines have renewed our collective focus on young people’s mental health, especially during the pandemic with articles such as: ‘Mental health of students “single biggest concern” of school staff, union finds’; and ‘Parents warn of tsunami of schoolanxiety cases’. The message is clear – young people are struggling with poor mental health, while schools, colleges, universities and society at large are struggling to support them. UMHAN’s work in student mental health over nearly 20 years has given the national charity in-depth insight into the mental health of young people arriving at university, and during their studies. UMHAN’s members work primarily with students with long-term mental health conditions, and we have identified some key points to ensure this cohort can access the right support.
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THE IMPORTANCE OF LANGUAGE We know that one of the biggest barriers to students with mental health conditions accessing support at university is the
terminology used. As a society, we have started using the terms wellbeing, mental wellbeing and mental health frequently and interchangeably. Additionally, we are seeing an overuse of psychiatric language to describe common and everyday experiences, such as “I’m depressed” or “I’m a bit OCD”. This can make it harder to prioritise the students most in need. Even more confusing is that schools use the term ‘special educational needs’, while in university this changes to ‘disability’ and ‘disabled’. Added to this is uncertainty around available support; it’s hard for students, carers and advisors to know what might be available because systems are not joined up. This means that many are under the impression that an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) extends to university, whereas Disabled Students Allowances (DSAs) and specialist university support takes over once a student has transitioned to Higher Education (HE). We advocate for a more homogenous use of language across the whole sector to ensure we are all consistent in the data we are collecting. This will help ensure the evidence for what works is accurate and, most importantly, make sure students get the support they really need.
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BIO SAM GAM BLIN Sam is the charity manager of UMHAN, the largest network of mental health professionals working in education. Sam previously managed disability support services at a large university for 10 years and is the parent of two neurodivergent teens, one of whom was diagnosed with mental health conditions while at school. Sign up for UMHAN’s free newsletter: https://bit.ly/3FYjw8l
