How do universities promote student wellbeing?

As parents and carers, it is understandable if you have reservations about your child’s new journey at university. It’s been a turbulent few years for them and you’ll want their time at university to be a positive experience. And while moving onto higher education is a time for opportunity and excitement, it can also bring personal challenges. To prepare your child for their next steps, it’s important to talk to them about what type of support is available and how they can access this during their studies.

There may be many reasons why your child needs a little extra help during their student life, and university support services are here to help with it all. We have qualified and experienced professionals who can help with emotional and mental health issues, or if your child wants someone to talk to about their academic challenges. These staff offer safe spaces and are all ready to listen.

In the same way that universities have facilities to promote students’ physical health, we know that their personal and emotional wellbeing is very important too. Here are some services to look out for as you visit universities with your child:

These are specialist practitioners offering mental health advice and support. They can provide short-term focused interventions to promote wellbeing and support students to develop coping strategies.

This offers your child a safe space to address issues concerning their thoughts, feelings and behaviour, and can help them to put things back in balance again. During counselling they can talk about study pressures, relationships, grief and loss, and sexuality amongst many other concerns.

These could include anything from coffee mornings and walking groups to mindfulness sessions and peer support meetings.

It is important that your child knows what kind of support is available from their university should they need it, so researching student support services as part of their initial shortlisting is a fantastic idea. It might influence their decision on where to study if they need a certain type of support.

Students dealing with specific issues may find it difficult to contact their university for the first time, thinking that their problem is too big or too small, or they might feel embarrassed or scared. Rest assured that student support teams are not there to judge. Anything shared will be treated with respect and held in confidence by experienced professionals.

To find out more about a university’s support services, head to their website or look through their prospectus. But, if you want to know more about how they can help with a particular issue or condition, it’s best to get in touch with them directly to discuss your child’s specific needs.