A leading mental health charity has called on the Scottish Government to provide more support to colleges after a survey found "alarming" levels of depression and food poverty amongst students.
The largest study on the mental health and wellbeing of college students in Scotland has revealed more than half reported moderate to severe symptoms of depression.
And despite the prevalence of mental health problems among the college student population, more than half (55%) said they have concealed a mental health problem due to fear of stigmatisation.
The analysis has prompted a series of recommendations from Mental Health Foundation and Colleges Scotland including calls for sustained Scottish Government investment in mental health and wellbeing supports at college.
The study published by the Mental Health Foundation also found that more than one third (37%) experienced food insecurity in the previous 12 months.
More than 2,000 students from colleges across Scotland participated in the Thriving Learners study* which also found that 54% reported having moderate, moderately severe, or severe symptoms of depression. Among students who have experienced food insecurity, a quarter (25%) had severe symptoms of depression.
The study carried out in partnership with Colleges Scotland and funded by The Robertson Trust was carried out between February and May 2022, before the harshest impacts of the cost-of-living crisis were taking hold. Yet, at this time one in six students (17%) lived in a household that had ran out of food in the past 12 months. The report had encouraged college support services to enhance communications to students, particularly those at higher risk of poor mental health, about mental health and wellbeing supports available.
To help address student poverty, the report recommends annual data collection by Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council to better understand the scale of the problem and find solutions.
The study said that without strong data on college student poverty, it is "challenging" for colleges to take the right mitigating steps against the context of reducing funding for the college sector and pressures on the National Health Service.
Julie Cameron, associate director at Mental Health Foundation in Scotland, said: “The findings of our Thriving Learners study are alarming. Far from thriving, a high number of students are struggling to pay for food and have poor mental health, including severe symptoms of depression.
“The links between financial strain, food insecurity and poor mental health are undeniable. We are failing our college students, who are primarily young people, if we do not ensure that they all have access to the right support for good physical and mental health.
“We know colleges are under a lot of pressure following the budget cuts of recent years. We need the Scottish Government to commit to increased investment and sustained funding for mental health and wellbeing supports for our quarter of a million college students across Scotland. As well as mental health counselling services in colleges, this investment should feature a wide range of measures to support healthy wellbeing and prevent mental health problems developing, such as working with student associations to deliver peer support for students. "
She said several colleges have run breakfast and lunch clubs to ensure students are getting a nutritious meal during the cost-of-living crisis and that this should be offered to all colleges in Scotland.
An SFC spokesperson said: “SFC welcomes the study and recognises the importance of its findings. We also acknowledge that mental health and poverty are significant societal issues which can have a significant impact on students.
“As a result of SFC’s allocation of Scottish Government funding for mental health, we have been able to provide colleges and universities with an additional 80 mental health counsellors.
“To mitigate the effects of financial pressures on student mental health we also provide support to eligible students in further education. SAAS provides similar funding for higher education students in colleges and universities. The amount of discretionary funding that SFC and SAAS have allocated to colleges and universities since 2020 has significantly increased. SFC have also increased flexibilities in how further education discretionary funding is administered by colleges to further support students with the cost of living.
“We recognise that more needs to be done to understand the issues of poverty and mental health and welcome the opportunity to work with the Scottish Government and partners on the national Student Mental Health Action Plan."
Higher and Further Education minister Jamie Hepburn said: "We know the period of lockdown and the ongoing cost of living crisis has had a significant impact on student mental health. We are determined to support our students as we return to a more normal way of life in both further and higher education.
“Over the last three academic years the Scottish Government has invested more than £11.5 million to introduce more than 80 additional counsellors in colleges and universities – over and above what institutions already provide.
“We are developing an evidence and research informed Student Mental Health Plan in association with representatives from student organisations at both colleges and universities, as well as mental health experts. In addition we are funding the NUS Think Positive Initiative and have invested in mental wellbeing through NHS Scotland.
“We have also provided £16.8 million in hardship funding to colleges and universities for the current academic year to support students experiencing financial hardship. I have written to college and university principals urging them to continue to prioritise the allocation of hardship funds to those students most in need, and to take account of the impact of rising energy bills which we know is having an effect on wellbeing.”
Read more by Martin Williams
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