Australian and international research suggests university students are experiencing heightened psychological distress, in part due to academic and financial pressures, isolation, loneliness and poor self-care. University years also often coincide with the critical transition period (between the ages of 17 and 25 years) when mental illness is most likely to onset.
While the Australian Government’s higher education policies have driven increases in participation and equity, little attention has been given to supporting the ‘mental wealth’ of students and responding to experiences (and risk factors) of mental ill-health which can place them at risk of academic failure. Further, mental health and suicide prevention policies across all levels of government have focused on providing educational support within primary and secondary school settings and largely ignored the role of tertiary education. This is despite the significant numbers of Australian young people engaged in these settings.
There remains contention about the extent of the problem and whether the core business of higher education delivery includes supporting students’ mental health and wellbeing. Regardless, universities across Australia have been independently developing policies and programs to respond to mental health issues presenting on campus. As such, national leadership and guidance is needed to: a) improve data collection on the prevalence of mental ill-health among university students; b) articulate the reasonable expectations of universities in responding to students’ mental health issues; c) describe opportunities for partnership between universities and community mental health services; and d) promote evidence-based, appropriate and acceptable programs and interventions.
Vivienne Browne Senior Policy Analyst, Orygen The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health
Jonathan Munro Head of Counselling & Psychological Support Services, Southern Cross University
Jeremy Cass, Manager, RMIT Counselling Service.
Harmful alcohol use among university students can intersect with other behaviours that increase health risks, including sexual risk-taking. Led by the University of Southern Queensland, researchers analysed data from 3,325 sexually active students studying at Australian universities to examine patterns of alcohol use and sexual risk-taking among Australian-born domestic, overseas-born domestic and international students. Australian-born […]
Many university students experiencing mental ill-health do not access available support, creating a gap between service need and use. Researchers from The University of Melbourne analysed 4,375 Australian university students with probable depression and/or anxiety to examine awareness and use of mental health services. Compared with domestic students, international students had substantially higher odds of […]
Food insecurity is an increasing concern for university students, with potential consequences extending beyond nutrition to mental health and eating behaviours. Researchers from the University of Wollongong and collaborating institutions surveyed 348 Australian university students to examine relationships between food insecurity, psychological distress and disordered eating risk. Almost two-thirds (63%) experienced some level of food […]
