Mental health of students in higher education

Appendix 5University general practice –University of Sheffield healthserviceThe University of Sheffield aims to be proactive with regard to mental health.The university health service, university counselling service and the disabilityand dyslexia support service are all represented in the University MentalHealth Strategy Group (see also Appendix 2).Within the university health service there is a lead GP for mentalhealth, who oversees the provision of care for students with mental healthdifficulties. All students are asked to complete a health questionnaire beforethey come to university and any declaring a current or past history of amental health difficulty including an eating disorder are offered a one-to-oneinterview with a doctor during our intro week. The aim of this session is toensure that the student is aware of the range of support available as well asto assess current need at the time of transition. The university health servicehas worked with the counselling service to devise a care pathway for themanagement of anxiety and depression using a stepped care model (Fig. 1).Self-help books are available on prescription and CDs with informationon sleep disorder and exam-related anxiety can be purchased from thehealth service. Workshops on managing low mood and stress and anxietyare run by the primary mental health worker (funded by the primary caretrust). These complement group sessions on relaxation, assertiveness,exam stress and confidence building held by the counselling service. Thehealth service has invested Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) moniesin the provision of cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT). This is offeredto students with obsessive–compulsive disorder, phobias, habit disordersand post-traumatic stress disorder, allowing these patients to be seenreasonably promptly within the familiar setting of the practice. The healthservice also has an eating disorders clinic which provides nurse-led, guidedself-help based on CBT principles for students with mild to moderate eatingdisorders. The clinic liaises closely with the local voluntary sector and theNHS specialist eating disorders service. In addition to the QOF-funded CBTand eating disorders clinic, the practice has a high-level Improving Accessto Psychological Therapies worker 1 day a week.The university health service is actively involved in health promotionand takes part in healthy campus weeks providing clinical staff at the studentunion as well as literature on mental health promotion and alcohol-relatedissues.Royal College of Psychiatrists83