7 Ways to Destigmatize Mental Health at Universities

Mental health is a global crisis, and the rising cost of living crisis followed by the post-COVID era has only added to it. To help individuals prioritise their mental wellness, we need to have more and more conversations about it. The ongoing crisis is an alarming condition for not only students but also staff members who are coping with stress on a daily basis.

As per research, the mental health crisis has hit Scottish Universities as the number of lecturers and staff signed has soared by 40% in four years. Official data has also shown that 300,000 staff days have been lost in the past two years in Scotland’s schools and nurseries as a result of ill mental health.

Stress factors could be situational or long-term, but people need help and support to carry on with life. Having more conversations, campaigns and initiatives around mental health will help destigmatise mental health at universities and enable a supportive and inclusive environment for students to learn and grow. 

Universities could signpost students and staff members time and again to avail of counselling services, reach out to peer support groups, and access crisis hotlines when they need to hear. Here are some ways we can destigmatize mental health at university:

1.) Educational and awareness campaigns

Universities can partner with mental health platforms to provide additional resources and support to deal with stress. The Universities can also come up with ongoing educational campaigns to raise the awareness and importance of living a mentally healthy life.

2.) Promoting mental health support services offered at the University

Universities and student unions provide mental health services and support to students and staff members. Many individuals worry if they share their emotional health and the stressful situation they are dealing with, they might be judged and it might go against them. It is worth noting that Equality Act legislation makes it illegal for staff to discriminate against you.

3.) Normalise seeking help and support

There is enough stigma attached to mental health disorders and also the over-romanticism on social media doesn’t help individuals to comprehend what is going on with them. There is no shame in seeking help for your emotional health, it is equally important as your physical well-being. It is the fear of judgement and being seen as vulnerable that refrains individuals to talk about how they are feeling and seek timely help, when we normalise seeking assistance, we enable people to enhance their quality of life.

4.) Create safe spaces:

DUSA and the University of Dundee provide optimal support avenues for the students and encourage them to seek help when they need it. Creating a safe space in the community can bring out significant changes in the students and staff members’ quality of life. For example; recurring informal sessions with support groups like Speakeasy.

5.) Encourage mental health days:

It is not mandatory to give a mental health day off to the employees or students but when organisations and universities do it, they validate the need for mental health awareness. Small initiatives like these help people feel inclusive and add to job recognition as well. It also encourages employees to use the time off with intention and do something that gives the day meaning to them. In light of the challenges of the pandemic and as part of an ongoing commitment to employee wellbeing, in the year 2022, Thomson Reuters introduced two annual company mental health day holidays.

6.) Having open dialogues:

House rent, soaring energy bills, and food prices all of it add to a lot of mental pressure for young students and they sometimes withdraw and go into isolation as they try to figure their way out. Having open dialogues helps to normalise mental illnesses.

7.) Vocabulary:

Language plays a significant role in shaping attitudes towards mental health.  Putting “People First Language” puts the person before the disability, and describes what a person has, not who a person is. It can help to reduce the stigma associated with mental health conditions. For example, you don’t say a disabled girl, you say a girl who has a disability. It  refers to an individual first and any disorder or disability second.

In addition, to enable an inclusive and supportive culture, the Universities can also plan and offer regular mental health awareness workshops, webinars, and information sessions. This can reduce the negative impact of mental health issues on academic performance and promote a work culture of well-being and mental health awareness.