Imperial needs to do more to tackle mental health

Mental health is the great un-tackled health problem in the UK.

In a year 1 in 4 adults will experience a mental health problem and suicide is the biggest killer of men under the age of 35.

This week’s results from the ‘Mentality’ campaign show that Imperial is no exception. Of those who completed the survey, over 82% of respondents experienced anxiety at least once a term and at 72% experienced insomnia. 24% of students experienced suicidal thoughts at least once a term.

These statistics are shocking to any compassionate observer.

We live in an age of advanced medical care, where child mortality rates are at record lows and where our life expectancy is only continuing the grow and yet, we cannot tackle these fundamental problems that make life a misery for so many.

You’re at a higher risk of a mental health problem if you’re young, or if you are in a high pressure situation. Welcome to Imperial College, which is full of young people, often away from home for the first time and often under pressure to meet a deadline.

There is no doubt to me that a university has a duty of care to its students.

As university is such a huge part of a students’ life and the very nature of the degree can affect your health – it’s right for Imperial to do what it reasonably can to help.

And it does; for example it funds a counselling service, often the first port of call for students, and it also provides funds to the health centre so that it is able to cater for all Imperial students, not just those living close to campus as well as working with the GPs in the health centre so that they understand Imperial’s systems and how best to help a current student effectively

This funding is however, under threat. A review recently recommended that students should seek help from their local GPs paving the way for Imperial to retract funding.

This would have a major impact on student wellbeing. Whilst the health centre is not perfect, it is significantly better at dealing with students’ problems than other GP surgeries in London.

Their GPs regularly meet with college staff, sit on committees, meet with senior tutors and work with the counselling service directly.

The health services at Imperial need all the funding they can get at the moment. Students are being denied the vital help they need because of months long waiting lists, which makes it more and more likely they have to take time out of their course, their results suffer and most importantly, their health deteriorates further.

There are effective medical treatments for the vast majority of mental health problems.

No one should have to live with one forever, and no one should feel defined by it. In an ideal world, the NHS would provide all the treatment and help we could need, but this isn’t that ideal world.

Imperial needs to support students to the best it can, it’s in College’s own interest to have healthy students and it needs to continue to effectively fund organisations that help that.