A YouGov survey in 2016 found that one in four university students in the UK struggle with their mental health.
This ranges from those who have been diagnosed with a mental illness through to vast numbers who are battling with stress and worry: 63% of students say that they feel levels of stress that interfere with their day-to-day lives. Among those who identify as struggling with mental health problems, anxiety and depression are the most common, and often affect the same students (around 70% of sufferers).
Supporting students
This is a significant issue for UCCF to think about as we engage with students (both Christian and not). One particularly striking piece of information that came out of the YouGov research was this: only 8% of students know no one with mental health problems. Students within Christian Unions are struggling with their own mental health, but they’re also caring for friends who are struggling, and living in colleges and halls with people who are struggling, and sitting in lectures and labs with people who are struggling, and inviting people who are struggling to come to events.
