General student mental health links and resources

There are many materials on student mental health available to universities and colleges, and work in this area continues. We will update this as new materials become available.

• Advance HE have produced a Student Needs FrameworkExternal link (Opens in a new tab or window) in collaboration with the Higher Education Student Support Champion (Professor Edward Peck), with the support of Universities UK’s Student Policy Network and Advance HE. 
• Healthy Universities Network: As part of a global movement, the UK Healthy Universities NetworkExternal link (Opens in a new tab or window) supports its members to develop and implement ‘whole university’ approaches to health, wellbeing and sustainability.
• Jisc is the UK digital, data and technology agency focused on tertiary education, research and innovation. Jisc are exploring how best they can support the higher education sector in the responsible, appropriate and effective use of student analytics to inform decisions about student wellbeing including mental health. Following the launch of their learning analytics serviceExternal link (Opens in a new tab or window), they have recently developed a wellbeing code of practiceExternal link (Opens in a new tab or window) to inform this work. Jisc have also published a report, in collaboration with Professor Edward Peck, which explores how providers can use data and predicative analytics to improve student services. This utilised an OfS funded mental health project at Northumbria University.
• Papyrus and Universities UK have produced guidance for universities on preventing student suicidesExternal link (Opens in a new tab or window).
• SMaRteN (SMaRteNExternal link (Opens in a new tab or window)) is a national research network funded by UK Research and Innovation, led by King's College London, focusing on student mental health in higher education. Working with researchers with a range of expertise and key stakeholders across the higher education sector, their aim is to improve the understanding of student mental health.
• Student Minds, student mental health charityExternal link (Opens in a new tab or window), has lots of information on approaches to supporting students. It has developed a Charter for student mental healthExternal link (Opens in a new tab or window) and is developing an awards scheme for higher education providers.
• Student Space: We have funded a new platform called Student SpaceExternal link (Opens in a new tab or window) to support students during the coronavirus pandemic. This platform includes information about wellbeing, free access to phone and text support services and links to available provider support.
• TASO (Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education) in collaboration with the Centre for Education and Youth (CfEY) have launched a report ‘What works to tackle mental health inequalities in higher education (HE)?External link (Opens in a new tab or window)'.
• The Department for Education have published a study of the institutional policies and practicesExternal link (Opens in a new tab or window) of higher education providers to support student mental health and wellbeing.
• UCAS has published a report into students’ experience of sharing a mental health condition in their applicationExternal link (Opens in a new tab or window), as part of its continued analysis and development of its application service.
• Universities UK’s refreshed Stepchange: mentally healthy universities frameworkExternal link (Opens in a new tab or window) includes resources for institution-wide approaches to mental ill health prevention and support as well as a self assessment tool to encourage universities to plan and implement a whole university approach.
• University Mental Health Advisers Network (UMHANExternal link (Opens in a new tab or window)) is a network representing advisers who support students experiencing difficulties. UMHAN have developed clinical governance guidanceExternal link (Opens in a new tab or window) that is aimed at all specialist services, teams or individual staff members involved in supporting students with mental health conditions.
• What Works Centre for Wellbeing has a section on higher educationExternal link (Opens in a new tab or window), including examples of good practice on student mental health and a state of evidence reportExternal link (Opens in a new tab or window).