Author: Altay Shaw
Editor: Haonan Liu
It is no secret that university poses challenges for all students, regardless of backgrounds. Whether in part of the legacy of the pandemic and its impact on social interactions or, the impact on education has had, resulting in more students needing to catch up to their colleagues during their first year.
Coupled with rising inequality, still seen in the results for A Level students this year, the transition from further to higher education poses its own unique challenges. New environments, lack of familiarity with support available – whether financial or academic when compared to school – and the necessity to build social networks from scratch ensure a herculean task for most to complete. These, coupled with the socio-economic and barriers to education, can give rise to anxiety and stress, predisposing students to mental health disorders.
There is undoubtedly a lack of proper mental health provision, with services such as counselling chronically underfunded across the country, but there are also few attempts from universities to tackle the root causes of, and factors which inflame, students’ mental health issues. This is further confounded by the fact that the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that one in seven 10-19 years old suffer from a mental health disorder, wo
Owing to the widening gulf between resources and accessibility, societies and groups are constantly seeking out alternatives to what could be done to support students on campus with their mental health. Whilst mindfulness, drop in sessions and signage to existing resources help, there still exists a gulf between what is needed and what is readily available.
In recent months, “Mental Health First Aid” (MHFA) courses have been more prevalent within university societies and companies across the United Kingdom. Initially developed in Australia in the year 2000; it was designed with the aim to help train members of the public in recognising the signs of mental health problems. Typically taught over the course of four half-days – either face-to-face or online, the “first aid” training covers recognition of signs and risk factors for common mental health disorders.
Whilst the course itself appears to be a good idea, there is no good evidence showing that it has any medical benefits. Additionally, it had not been investigated under scrutiny to see whether such courses may cause more harm than good.
Many studies have found that people who do the training have improved knowledge, feel more confident about offering support and believe that it reduces stigma about mental health conditions. But it is unclear whether the courses offer more concrete benefits, such as reducing symptoms of depression or anxiety in the communities targeted.
An analysis carried out in 2023 by the Cochrane Collaboration, discovered that there had been 21 randomised trials where MHFA training was compared with either no intervention or a control approach, typically a traditional first aid course. These trials included more than 20,000 people in a variety of settings and countries.
Out of the studies reviewed, only five trials reviewed whether the course improved mental health for those showing symptoms. The outcomes suggested that any difference was likely due to chance and not due to any aspect of the MHFA training. A further 5 studies did not include enough participants to draw any conclusive statistical evidence.
This should cause alarm. Any method or program that is implemented to improve the wellbeing of students requires thorough review to ensure there are benefits for whom it is aimed at. Additionally, in regard to a student lead initiative, would there be too much of an onus placed upon the trained individuals to intervene, thus being detrimental to their own wellbeing?
As part of UCL Student Union continued efforts to improve mental health, a commitment in 2022 was made to train up hall representatives on MHFA in their Student Priorities for Welfare report. In the latest 2024 report, no reference is made as to whether the scheme which was implemented, provided benefit for the students on campus. As such, before any further implementation of such schemes are considered at UCL for the student body, a thorough review needs to take place.
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