One in Three Female Students Have Mental Health Issues
I have to admit that I re-read this information a couple of times before writing this article today. It seems absolutely shocking that this figure can be accurate. However, it is. This information comes from a YouGov poll recently undertaken and reported by the BBC. The male figure for mental health issues is significantly lower, which is about a fifth of male undergraduates. Although, that figure seems rather high as well to me.
The above figures increase to 45% if you are gay, lesbian or transgendered. The two most common issued suffered by students are depression 77% and anxiety 74%. Universities and the NHS are doing their part to help these students who are clearly in distress.
I have seen many students over the past 27 1/2 years and my experiences with them correlate very much with the published figures. Whilst some have come for study support the far greater number come to get assistance with depression and anxiety. The fact that students feel that they can bring these concerns out into the open is a very good sign that mental health is becoming a normalised topic of conversation rather than something whispered in dark places where there is no one around.
