Annons
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Annons
Student Minds believes that "peer intervention can change the state of student mental health", and thinks this is key in preventing mental health issues from reaching crisis point. Hardwick cites their national "Look After Your Mate" campaign, which encourages informal peer support on university campuses. "Students are most likely to speak to friends when they are experiencing difficulties," she says adding: "Good social networks and peer contacts have a protective influence against mental health difficulties. In a recent study, support from family and friends was the most often cited reason for why students decided to remain in higher education."READ ON BROADLY: Living with My Mother's Mental Illness
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"When people are feeling suicidal, starting counselling may not be the right thing for them," he says. "Counselling can leave people feeling worse in the short term. It can stir up more difficult emotions and can increase risk. Counselling that works on a model of weekly or fortnightly appointments isn't able to meet those urgent needs."It seems, then, that university counselling isn't designed for those at rock-bottom and, in fact, can worsen the situation for those who are suffering with suicidal thoughts.Jacob* is a student who suffers from depression, which resurged after he arrived at university. He experienced the aforementioned flaws in university counselling when he visited, citing suicidal thoughts. "I filled out an online form in advance and ticked a box to confirm I'd been having suicidal thoughts," he says, explaining that he then went to an appointment with a counsellor and "had several unproductive sessions".
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