Mental health of students in higher education

Appendix 6The Westminster mentoring programme is different because it utilisesstaff from the existing counselling service instead of recruiting externalmental health advisors. Thus the mentors are already familiar with theuniversity environment and with the particular issues faced by WestminsterUniversity students. Other advantages are that, as trained counsellors,mentors have the experience and knowledge to spot the warning signswhen a student is on the verge of a psychological crisis. The programme isproactive and preventative. It enables students to become more autonomousin relation to their academic career and leave or suspend their studies withdignity if this is the right course of action for them. Above all, it offers alifeline before students start to flounder and supports them throughout theirtime at university, not just at crisis points.Work on improving the programme is ongoing and most recently arevision of recording and referral methods has taken place to ensure thatinformation is passed on to relevant parties to enable students to receivethe most appropriate help.Oxford University: Peer Support ProgrammeThe service trains in the region of 250 students each year in basic listeningand support skills. This is a 30-hour training at the end of which studentscan advertise themselves as part of the Peer Support Panel in their collegeor department providing they continue to attend fortnightly monitoring/supervision groups with their trainer (who is also a qualified counsellor).As well as cross-college trainings, a specific training is offered each yearas a special study module in the 4th year at the graduate medical schooland as an intensive, pre-course training to a cohort of Master of BusinessAdministration (MBA) students in the Saïd Business School, University ofOxford. A modified training is delivered before the beginning of the academicyear for graduate students who have a defined welfare role such as juniordeans in colleges. About 4% of the students who use the counselling servicehave been referred by peer supporters, who also refer to medical serviceswithin and attached to colleges. For further information see www.admin.ox.ac.uk/shw/peers.shtmlUniversity of Hertfordshire: tutor trainingprogrammeThe University of Hertfordshire counselling service has developed anintensive 10-week course for personal tutors and other interested staff with aview to raising awareness of the psychological factors affecting teaching andlearning. The first ‘taught’ half of a session covers issues such as managingthe boundaries around the role of personal tutor, transitions, exam andlearning difficulties, creating helpful interactions with students, recognisingrisk, and breaking bad news. The second half comprises presentationsfrom course members about current issues in their work, with the aimof integrating theory with practice. The course is part of the professionalacademic development programme at the university and can be taken forcredit. It has helped members of staff in their interactions with individualstudents and has also led to their devising supportive structures within theirdepartments. For more information contact counselling.centre@herts.ac.ukRoyal College of Psychiatrists87