Universities Inspired to Be Proactive with Regards to Spotting Student’s Mental Health

Following another death at a University due to mental illness, the student’s father has been working with Universities around the UK, such as Bristol and East London, to develop a new system to assist with individuals who require support. The aim is to identify students who need but don't ask for help by analysing their digital footprint. A trail is left when they attend lectures, take out books at the library or log in to the computer system. Through analytics they then can build a student profile that is updated regularly.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show 95 recorded university student suicides for the 12 months to July 2017 in England and Wales. But around half of students who take their own lives are not known to mental health services.

Last September, vice-chancellor Hugh Brady brought in an initiative that allows students to opt in to a scheme that would allow staff to contact a friend or relative if there were serious concerns about a student's mental health. According to Mr Brady, around 95% of students have signed up and since the scheme started, just over a dozen students had been a cause for concern. "We've probably considered it so far this year in maybe about 15 students. We have actively used it in about five.”

Other institutions doing their part are Wolverhampton University, who have trained 450 staff including security guards, caretakers and cleaners to recognise early warning signs in students; and Nottingham Trent University has a dashboard for staff and students that generates an alert after 14 days of lack of engagement.