THE STUDENTS’ UNION GUIDE TO TALKING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH Talking about mental health can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. As student facing staff there are small and simple things you can do that will make a huge difference to our students.
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SPOTTING THE SIGNS There are different signs students might display if they are struggling with their mental health: - Reduced attendance or regular lateness to lectures - A drop in academic performance - Changes to behaviour in lectures and seminars (i.e not talking as much, or destructive behaviour) - Appearing withdrawn or lacking in concentration - Starting to overwork as a distraction technique - Lack of care over personal hygiene and appearance
TIPS FOR CONVERSATIONS - Go with your gut. If you think something is wrong, just ask - Listen and be patient - Avoid saying things like ‘chin up’ and ‘try and be positive’. This can do more harm than good - Show that these are normal conversations to have. Having this attitude will encourage this behaviour to multiply - Remind them it is okay to ask for help if they need it - Follow up with the conversation a few weeks later
WHAT CAN YOU DO? Start a conversation and ask how they are. You are not there to be a counsellor, but basic conversations can and will change a student’s time here at UWE Bristol. If you notice any of the signs, talk to the student. - Ask questions, such as: “I have noticed that you haven’t been in lectures as often recently, is there anything wrong, or any thing we can do to help you?” - Make it clear that the student doesn’t have to tell you any thing, but you want to make sure they have the support that they need. Remind them that what they say is confidential, unless they pose serious harm to themselves or others - If the student says they are struggling with their mental health, listen and then signpost them to the services on the reverse of this leaflet - If it is a longstanding mental health issue and they haven’t disclosed it to the university, encourage them to do so. If they do, they will be able to get specialised support - There might be small adjustments you could make to help the student. For example, if they are struggling with anxiety, don’t single them out in lectures to answer questions, etc. - Follow up with them a few weeks later to see how they are, and if they have accessed any support
SIGNPOSTING UWE Wellbeing uwe.ac.uk/wellbeing Nightline thestudentsunion.co.uk/nightline Samaritans samaritans.org UWE Disability service uwe.ac.uk/disability UWE Health Centre uwe.ac.uk/healthcare
STUDENT STORY “In my second year my mental health took a bad turn, I felt isolated with my problems and was sure I would fail my course. When my APT noticed a drop in my attendance and a very poor essay was handed in, he invited me to pop in for a chat. He asked me what was going on, and was really understanding. After I told him the situation it meant that I got the support I needed from the programme staff, which took a huge pressure of my shoulders. I graduated with a 2:1 and got a first in my dissertation, which is not something I ever thought would happen!�
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