UWL joins St Mary’s University for mental health study
UWL joins St Mary’s University for mental health study
UWL has partnered with the Institute of Education at St Mary’s and has won over £180,000 in funding to lead a study into mental health support for students.
The grant, awarded by the Office for Students will fund a project exploring mental health interventions for students who are the first in their families to attend university – run in collaboration with the St Mary’s as well as teams at King’s College London and the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
Work will help tackle figures which show that first-generation university students, many of whom are from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and those cut off from family support, are at increased risk of poor mental health, social isolation, and non-continuation of their degree courses.
This project, which will be designed and delivered in partnership with students, and led by higher education and mental health professionals, to explore how to improve mental health outcomes including psycho-education training, personal skills development, peer-to-peer support initiatives, mental health drop-in sessions, and online resources.
The grant follows another successful OfS bid by UWL to offer tailored mental health support to minoritised ethnic students in partnership with the West London NHS Trust.
Michael Cobden, Head of Wellbeing at UWL, said:
We are extremely proud of having such a diverse student population here at UWL, and of all the work we continue to do to ensure everyone can access education and thrive at university, no matter what their background.
Alongside our funding to support students from BAME communities, this will go a long way to enhance the support that we provide to all those students who may lack the emotional and financial support that their peers may benefit from.
Prof Anna Lise Gordon, Director of the St Mary’s Institute of Education, said:
We are looking forward to working with our collaborative partners as a joined-up approach between education and health professionals.
Working closely with students is the best way to support students on their journey through higher education.
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