Good mental health is vital for personal development, learning, and living, writes Dr Maria Gardani, Lecturer - School of Psychology.

Yet the incidence of mental health problems among the general population and among the students remains a concern. Furthermore it is imperative that we create an environment in which students with mental health issues can be supported to help them thrive during their academic studies. This is consistent with the Scottish Government’s mental health strategy 2017-2027 as well as the University’s Mental Health Action Plan (2017).

In an effort to build this supportive and inclusive environment and to raise awareness of mental health, staff in the School of Psychology in collaboration with the Student Psychology Society organised a Student Mental Health Awareness week from October 16 – 20 2017.

Throughout this week we hosted daily workshops on a variety of topics: Trichotillomania, Transitions, the importance of sleep, suicide prevention, staying active to de-stress, and countering stigma and discrimination in psychosis.

The initiative was intended to enhance the student experience and create a more inclusive learning space for all students and its success was evidenced by the attendance and engagement of both staff and students.

Members of Staff involved: Dr Maria Gardani and Dr Linda Moxey supported by Dr Niamh Stack, Director of Teaching, School of Psychology and Prof Stephany M. Biello, Deputy Head, School of Psychology.

Survey

The School of Psychology in collaboration with Counselling Services are exploring the student’s experiences of academic life. The survey takes 5’ to complete and can be found here:

www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/UniLifeTheHighsandLows

 

First published: 23 October 2017

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