supporting students’ mental health sarah moffat, edinburgh university students’ association...
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SUPPORTING STUDENTS’ MENTAL HEALTHSarah Moffat, Edinburgh University Students’ Association (EUSA)[email protected]
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OUTLINE• What is mental health?• Common issues for students• How can you support
someone?• Further support
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WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH?
•Everyone has mental health•Mental health is not a binary, it is a spectrum•Mental health is fluid, & can change over time
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MENTAL HEALTH IS A SPECTRUM
optimal mental wellbeing
minimal mental wellbeing
minimal mental illnessmaximum mental illness
People can have a mental illness, but be mentally well if they have successful coping strategies & support.
Equally, people without a mental illness can have very poor wellbeing if they face challenging circumstances and do not have coping strategies in place.
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COMMON MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
AMONG STUDENTS• Stress – Almost all students will experience some form of stress at
University, usually triggered by academic pressure or personal circumstances• Anxiety – While it’s normal to be nervous in stressful situations, people
with Anxiety often feel overly anxious under pressure (sometimes to the point of panic attacks) or experience low-level anxiety all the time, regardless of the situation.• Depression – Again, while it’s normally to sometimes feel down, these
feelings are categorised as Depression when they continue for over two weeks, recur regularly (e.g. once a month), or have significant negative impact on an individual’s quality of life.
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SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY
•Feelings of panic, fear or uneasiness•Problems sleeping•Catastrophic Thinking (obsessing over the worst case scenario)•Heart palpitations•Difficulty concentrating•Panic attacks
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HOW TO SUPPORT SOMEONE THROUGH A
PANIC ATTACK1. Find a quiet space away from people2. Encourage them to take slow, deep
breaths3. Reassure them they will be ok4. Provide an activity to redirect energy
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SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION
•Exhaustion and lack of energy•Problems sleeping•Difficulty concentrating•Feelings of hopelessness•Loss of interest in activities which used to bring joy
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HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT SOMEONE
A – Assess for riskL – Listen non-judgementallyG – Give reassurance & informationE – Encourage appropriate professional helpE – Encourage self-help and other support
Whether you notice someone is acting differently, or they disclose to you that they are struggling, you can use these five steps to support
them.
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CREATING A POSITIVE CULTURE AROUND MENTAL
HEALTHMODELLING THE WAY
• Be open & honest about your own mental health• Check in regularly – give people the opportunity to discuss how they’re doing• Encourage self-care – Especially at stressful times, encourage people to rest & relax• Establish support networks – Set up a buddy scheme & encourage people to check in with each other
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FURTHER SUPPORTThe Advice Place
Practical advice & support
• Main office in Potterrow but smaller office at KB
• 0131 650 9225
• www.eusa.ed.ac.uk/advice
Student Counselling ServiceIn-person & online counselling; opportunity to talk through issues with someone who is neutral• Third floor of Library (main
office, but smaller offices on other campuses)
• 0131 650 4170• [email protected]• www.ed.ac.uk/student-
counselling
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FURTHER SUPPORTMindInformation & advice on all mental health related issues •www.mind.org.uk
Sarah Moffat (EUSA)General question on supporting students or mental health•[email protected]