The invisible problem? Improving students’ mental health

3. Vulnerability factors
A study by Bewick et al (2010) collected data on seven occasions
from a UK university from 66 per cent of the 2000-2002 cohort
(24,234 participants). At no point during the time of study did
reported distress levels fall to the pre-university level. 32 Why is
this?
Students are vulnerable upon entry to higher education
There is an average of ten years between a young person (aged
under 25) first experiencing symptoms and when they first
receive the support they need. 33 In 2004 (the latest data available),
only 25 per cent of children with mental health problems were
in treatment. 34 Moreover, Freedom of Information requests
by the mental health charity YoungMinds in July 2015 found
that over one in five local authorities have either frozen or cut
their Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
budgets every year since 2010. Cuts amounted to £35 million
(from a total budget of roughly £700 million) between 2014
and 2015, despite an increase in demand for services. 35 It is
therefore plausible that many students first receive mental
health support during their time in higher education because
they simply have not had easy access to it before.
Moreover, when entering higher education, students may
struggle to bridge the gap between CAMHS and Adult Mental
Health Services (AMHS). A report by the Joint Commissioning
Panel for Mental Health found that nearly a third of teenagers
receiving help are lost from care during this transition and a
further third experience an interruption in care. 36 Many students
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