Before Covid-19, the rates of mental illness in England had already been slowly rising, with cases growing from 17.5% in 2000 to 18.9% in 2014. For children and young people, the latest evidence shows that the rates of mental illness may be increasing even faster than among adults. The rates of people with mental disorders have risen from an estimated one in eight to more than one in six.
Mainstream attitudes
Students have also been affected. Ryan Wilkinson from the Liverpool Light charity said:
There’s a whole ‘man up’ thing as well. Like in uni, you know all going to party every weekend and like I think it’s just brushed aside. And I think there’s this whole stigma of, ‘uni should be the best time of your life’. So, I think that prevents people from speaking up. I think there’s a lot of academic pressure as well.
Mollie Grant, also from the Liverpool Light charity, said:
We don’t get to take care of ourselves and you’re juggling a million things at once and wearing 100 hats and there’s a lot of people just have that outlook of ‘Oh, you’re just a student, you’re only in lectures three times a week. How hard can it be?
But it is actually really hard.
Listen to Lucas Wright’s audio report here:
Skills and support networks
It is essential that we don’t underestimate the importance of mental health amongst students. Good mental health and well-being are essential – it helps them to learn effectively, cope with day-to-day challenges and develop as young adults.
Mollie added:
The mental toll that university takes alone it’s a stressful time of life, just as it is. And especially if you’re coming from, you know, if you’re an international student or if you’re coming from a town that’s far away and you’re struggling with homesickness and you’re in a new place, you’ve not got any friends.
It’s a difficult transition…And if you’ve got, you know, places at home that you can go to or people at home, suddenly they’re not there anymore.
So, it’s hard to kind of find your feet and cope with all of the added stresses of being a student.
Watch Lucas Wright’s video report here:
Drugs, alcohol and talking
There are many ways that students can receive help for these problems, such as talking to someone, exercising, getting enough sleep, avoiding alcohol and drugs, and seeking professional help.
Mollie explained:
I think it’s really important to speak to someone about it, even if it’s, you know, an academic advisor or if you don’t want to speak to someone in the uni, maybe speaking to someone at home, a friend or a trusted family member, or if you have a job like a colleague and communicate how you feel.
Because if you don’t talk to people about it, people aren’t going to be able to help you. And it’s always better rather than suffering in silence.
Ryan added:
There’s also obviously, university well-being teams. They can be hit or miss, but it is important to just try and access those because that’s what they’re there for.
And if that doesn’t work out then look into alternative services.
Autism and neurodiversity
Furthermore, more than one in 100 people are autistic and there are at least 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK with the actual number likely higher, as many remain undiagnosed. The latest statistics from the Department for Education also show that there are 166,041 autistic pupils in England, an 8% increase since 2020.
Autism influences how people perceive and engage with the world. It is a lifelong disability that affects the way people think, feel and communicate. People with autism may find social situations challenging and feel overwhelmed by loud or busy environments. The common signs of autism include little eye contact, repeating words or phrases, repetitive behaviours and persistent wanting to be alone.
With this month being World Autism Awareness month, it’s an important time to raise awareness of the disability. Each individual with autism has unique abilities, interests and needs, and it is essential to embrace neurodiversity and appreciate the richness it brings to our world.
