CALLS have been made for student mental health to be a top priority, after new after figures showed more than 45,000 people have used university counselling services in Scotland over the last five years.

Statistics compiled by the Lib Dems showed that over the last five academic years, 45,724 students have sought help from university counselling services. Edinburgh and Glasgow universities reported the highest demand, with 8,105 and 9,308 students respectively seeking help over the period according to the figures, obtained under a Freedom of Information request.

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Alex Cole-Hamilton said: "A student's time at university can be the time of their life but it can also be incredibly stressful."

While he acknowledged that "student counselling services in universities work incredibly hard" he said delays for appointments – including one of a Glasgow student who waited nearly 300 days to be seen – were "an outrage".

"Looking after a student's mental health while they are at university must be a priority and it is imperative that the Scottish Government and universities across Scotland work together on this issue to make sure that counselling services are properly staffed and well resourced," he added.

A Universities Scotland spokesman said the wellbeing of its students was already its priority.