Mental health campaign is up for national award

A student mental health campaign set up to tackle stigma has won the support of Nicola Sturgeon and been shortlisted for a national award.

Edinburgh-based Fearless Femme was set up by former university lecturer Dr Eve Hepburn, after she lost her step-brother to suicide two years ago. Dr Hepburn, from Edinburgh, suffered a breakdown and mental ill-health after a series of traumatic events, including the sudden death of her boyfriend when she was 19-years-old.

The social enterprise produces a digital magazine with mental health stories and artwork of young women and non-binary people with a focus on “surviving university”. They have been nominated for a Social Enterprise Scotland 2018 ‘One to Watch’ award.

In the latest edition featuring Scots broadcaster Jennie Cook, Nicola Sturgeon tells students she manages stress by reading and walking and tells students struggling with mental health that “things are never as bad as they seem”.

Fearless Femme also has an online membership community and is conducting research on the mental health of its readers. Over 45,000 students accessed counselling services in Scottish universities over the last five years, which represents a 76 per cent increase in demand.