Uni mental health crisis
Lib Dems Counsellors need better resources
More than 45,000 students have used university counselling services over the last five years.
The highest demand was at the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, with 8105 and 9308 people respectively seeking help over the period.
The figures – obtained under Freedom of Information by the Scottish Lib Dems – show that, across Scotland, 9382 students had counselling in 2016-17 – up f rom 6002 in 2012-13.
The Lib Dems say student mental health must be treated as a priority.
Health spokesman Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “From anxiety over finances to stress related to academic work, there are challenges that can have implications for students’ mental health.
“Counselling services in universities work incredibly hard but these figures show how much demand there is. “We recently revealed that a student in Glasgow had been waiting nearly 300 days for an appointment. It is imperative that the Scottish Government and universities work together to make sure that counselling services are well resourced.”
A Universities Scotland spokesman said: “The wellbeing of students is top priority. This autumn, Universities UK published a new framework to encourage a whole university approach to the mental health of our students.
“The step- change initiative supports university leaders to take a more comprehensive and strategic approach, ensuring good mental health is promoted throughout university life. ”
The Scottish Government said: “We want all students and young people to have access to a high level of mental health support across the country.
“Our Mental Health Strategy sets out how we can improve intervention and ensure better access to services.
“We’ l l continue to work closely with student groups to hear their views on how mental health support can be improved.”