Number of students in counselling rises significantly

There has been a 40.5 percent increase in students who sought counselling at the University of Warwick from 2010/11 to 2012/13, a Freedom of Information (FOI) Request has revealed.

In the academic year 2010/11, there were 771 students who sought face-to-face counselling. In 2011/12, the number was 919, and in 2012/13 there was a record of 1,084 students.

The University noted that the figures did not include any services provided by the Students’ Union.

From 2010/11 to 2012/13, the number of students who sought counselling for academic issues decreased by 0.06 percent, whilethe number for those who sought counselling for ‘mental health conditions’ tripled, with an additional 14 people seeking counselling for mental health last year.

Though the overall figures for students who sought counselling included those with accommodation problems, an FOI reply stated that accommodation-related issues were not included as a nationally prescribed ‘main presenting issue’, and therefore such information was not held.

Peter Dunn, head of communications at the University, said: “The main element in that increase is that the overall number of students at Warwick has also increased over the same period.”

Aston University saw the largest increase in students seeking counselling from 2008 to 2012 according to the Help Me Investigate Education study.

A university spokesperson explained in a report by the Birmingham Mail that the increase in students seeking counselling was a result of “less stigma now in talking about issues of mental health”.

A spokesperson for Birmingham University, who had the largest number of students in counselling in the West Midlands last year, suggested that the increase was a result of a university campaign publicising their services and encouraging students to seek help.

A Warwick student who suffered from depression and wished to remain anonymous said: “I don’t think I have noticed much of an attempt by the University to lessen the stigma surrounding mental health.

“There has, however, been such attempts among students themselves and perhaps this is why more people are seeking counselling at Warwick. There is also the added pressure of increased tuition fees and accommodation problems.”

They added that they did not find the counselling services offered to them helpful: “It was poorly organised and they were very slow to get to me.

“The quality of the counselling services were also lacking as they did not help with my depression. Instead, they made me more self-conscious and depressed in pointing all my problems back to me.”

The average waiting time for face-to-face counselling during 2012/13 was 15 days at Warwick.

However, the University stated that “there are specific mechanisms in place for very urgent cases”. It was also suggested by the Birmingham Mail that waiting lists for counselling in the Midlands are comparatively short.

Nationally, the number of students in counselling has risen by 36 percent in the last four years.

An NUS report on mental illness in October 2013 revealed that 20 percent of university students considered themselves to have a mental health problem and 13 percent had suicidal thoughts.