UNIVERSITY NEWS LAST UPDATED : 28 FEBRUARY 2018
Birmingham City University will be hosting a day of events to recognise University Mental Health Day (UMHD) 2018 on Thursday 1 March.
The University is aiming to raise awareness around the support available on campus to staff and students and improve understanding of mental health development and the importance of seeking support.
Being at university raises a number of unique challenges to students’ mental health and wellbeing. The years spent at university coincide with the peak age of onset for a range of mental health difficulties, with 75 per cent of all mental health difficulties developing by mid-20s.
To support this year’s campaign, the University will be hosting a range of events, taking place at City Campus and City South Campus throughout the day.
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Philip Plowden, said:
“The mental health of our students and staff is incredibly important. We need to make sure we do all we can to support wellbeing for those who study and work with us, and that is why I made Student Wellbeing and Mental Health one of my priority areas when I joined the University.
“I welcome University Mental Health day as an opportunity for us all to have open conversations about mental health.”
Events on both campuses will include Pets as Therapy sessions, where students and staff can meet police training puppies and guide dogs. There will also be custom built smoothie-making bicycles along with sports massage sessions, giveaways and talks on each campus by local mental health organisations.
The City Centre Campus will also host meditation sessions, arts and crafts activities and drama workshops with a film screening of Pixar’s ‘Inside Out’ taking place at the Parkside Building on the City Centre Campus at 6.30pm.
Karin Qureshi, Manager of Counselling and Mental Wellbeing for Student Affairs at Birmingham City University, added:
“This is an important day for us to recognise mental health and remind staff and students about the range of support available to them at the University.
“We have organised a day of special events to address mental health looking at therapeutic ways to support people’s health and wellbeing and are looking forward to getting a big conversation going on the day.”
UMHD is the national campaign promoting the mental health of people who study, live and work in higher education settings. The campaign is run jointly by Student Minds and University Mental Health Advisors Network .
The national campaign aims to improve awareness of support and promote a sense of belonging, and this year aims to improve an understanding among students and staff of the role the environment and community can play in protecting student mental health.