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From the editor

When I was a universityÌýundergraduate, there wasÌýno such thing as a universityÌýcounselling service. I don’t rememberÌýdiscussion of mental health or wellbeing;Ìýif there were concerns about someone,Ìýthey’d usually be sent to see their GP.ÌýChaplains, moral tutors, perhaps aÌýcampus nurse – that was about theÌýextent of ‘wellbeing’ support available.

Forty years later how the landscapeÌýhas changed. Counsellors, wellbeingÌýadvisors, disability workers, vulnerableÌýstudents’ officers, support groups,Ìýreasonable adjustment officers,Ìýchaplains, welfare tutors… the list goesÌýon. University life now seems to beÌýperceived as stressful – potentiallyÌýtraumatic – for students, who mustÌýbe supported at every step. Yet evenÌýthe myriad of staff already employedÌýto support student mental healthÌýseems inadequate…

The recently launched ‘wholeÌýinstitution approach’ to student mentalÌýhealth urges university leaders toÌýprioritise student wellbeing so thatÌýit permeates every aspect of anÌýinstitution’s life. On the UniversitiesÌýUK (UUK) website, we read: ‘AÌýpopulation approach to studentÌýmental health asks universities toÌýreconfigure themselves as health-promotingÌýand supportiveÌýenvironments.’ This seems aÌýfundamental shift in how universitiesÌýand colleges are asked to perceiveÌýthemselves, and in how they promoteÌýthemselves to students and parents.ÌýDidn’t universities used to be, primarily,Ìýplaces of learning, designed to stretch,Ìýtest and provoke students along theirÌýpath of personal development?ÌýHow does this purpose sit beside aÌýgrowing role as care-taker/protector?

In this issue, contributors unpackÌýthe notion of a ‘whole-institutionÌýapproach’ to mental health. SteveÌýWest chairs the UUK working party,Ìýwhich has devised the newly publishedÌýframework aimed at university seniorÌýmanagement. Sharon Doherty,ÌýMark Dooris and Maxine Holt describeÌýthe Healthy University project, arguingÌýthat counselling services have aÌývital part to play in cross-institutionÌýworking. Laura Winter and colleaguesÌýcontend that it is insufficient simplyÌýto look at the institution, or even localÌýsupport services, when consideringÌýbest practice but that we mustÌýconsider wider social and economicÌýtrends as they impinge upon individualÌýexperiences of further and higherÌýeducation. And Bridget Hazell, YvonneÌýMcPartland and Eamonn O’MahonyÌýwiden the scope of ‘whole institution’Ìýto include staff. Our institutions haveÌýmany staff who struggle to cope withÌýthe pressures and demands of work.ÌýHow can we expect staff to supportÌýstudents if they, in turn, are not beingÌýsupported? And Yolanda MartinezÌýgives a personal account of her role asÌýWelfare Tutor, coping with an apparentlyÌýunstoppable surge in requests forÌý‘reasonable adjustments’ from studentsÌýwho – in my day – would have beenÌýtold to see their doctor.

The days of being sent automaticallyÌýto the GP for a chat, whatever theÌýproblem, are over. Now, we work inÌýenvironments where protecting anÌýinstitution’s reputation, and being seenÌýto be proactive in protecting vulnerableÌýstudents, is held to be vitally importantÌýin the marketing of our institutions.ÌýWhatever we make of a ‘whole-institutionÌýapproach’ – growingÌýpaternalism, or compassionateÌýcommon sense – we can, perhaps,Ìýcelebrate the fact that students areÌýmore likely to find support on ourÌýcampuses, and ensure that we take theÌýopportunities to work with colleaguesÌýto broaden awareness of the widerÌýforces behind much of the inequalityÌýand unhappiness in our institutions.

David Mair
david.mair@bacp.co.uk

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