ABSTRACT
This chapter examines a particularly topical issue in higher education – student mental health. The scale of the mental health crisis at UK universities is allegedly revealed in a study by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) think tank. It shows that the number of students who disclosed a mental health problem in their first year rose fivefold to reach 15,395 in a decade. This narrative of ‘crisis’ linked with increased disclosure is, however, open to question when we consider the supposed aim of campaigns such as ‘Time to Change’ (2018) to reduce the stigma associated with mental health issues and calling for social action to talk and break the silence – and, indeed, previous high-profile calls for students to disclose their difficulties. It would appear, reflecting on the trend of increased disclosures, that there may not be a crisis at all, but rather an indication of success measured against the narrative of previous aims and campaigns, and the crisis perhaps derives from how well equipped we are to actually respond. This chapter explores current thinking and policy initiatives in relation to students’ mental health, examining how well equipped universities are to meet the challenges they face in this area in order to reconfigure themselves as health-promoting and supportive environments.
