Be kind to your mind

On 8th October, Manchester university student, Finn Kitson tragically took his own life after a surge of coronavirus cases meant his university accommodation went into lockdown. The university reported this death as ‘not COVID-19’ related, a point heavily disputed by many, particularly by the student’s father, Michael Kitson. Mr Kitson labelled this claim as ‘simply not true’ going on to comment ‘if you lockdown young people because of COVID-19 with little support, then you should expect that they suffer extreme anxiety.’ As the news broke, mental health activist, Ben West, took to Instagram to claim that ‘the mental health of the student population was totally and blatantly ignored when we were told we had to return to university’ and in doing this the government made ‘an admission of acceptance that such a decision would lead to young suicides and a fatal acceptance that it was worth it’.

Whatever the year, starting university is unequivocally a daunting experience. The prospect of moving to an unknown environment, leaving your family, living with strangers and starting a brand-new course is something that has often triggered and exacerbated a variety of mental health issues amongst young people. Even before the pandemic, research into mental health amongst students has presented some concerning statistics. According to the Mental Health Foundation, 75% of mental health problems develop before the age of 24, meaning university students are a group at especially high risk. In the academic year of 2015-16, over 15,000 first year students in UK universities reported mental health problems, compared to 3000 in 2006, with 94% of higher education institutions reporting an increase in demand for their counselling services. In March 2020, the University Student Mental Health Survey was published with the majority of the research presented carried out in 2019 (pre-covid). It indicated that 1 in 10 of those who suffered from a mental health condition developed it whilst at university and statistically these young people are not as likely to seek help for, or even recognise their condition.

This year, alongside the usual anxieties, students have the added pressure of the coronavirus pandemic. Results of a study conducted during the initial stage of the pandemic suggested students in China were at greater risk for stress, anxiety and depression related to COVID-19 than older adults. Since the beginning of the academic year, there have been numerous cases where students have arrived at university and have immediately been put into isolation for 2 weeks. They’ve spent this time stuck inside their rooms with nothing to do and no human contact. Once out of isolation, they are still not permitted to mix with other households or have the opportunity to make new friends. Going home from university, whilst not banned, has been largely discouraged by universities and government officials to prevent migration across the country. Lectures, seminars and many society gatherings are being held virtually on zoom. This is problematic, even for a generation whose upbringing has been dominated by new technology. A computer is not a substitute for everything. One cannot possibly get the same quality of teaching or building of relationships through a screen. Many of today’s students have, during their adolescent years, been advised to “get off screens and get outside”, so much so that technology has often been used as a scapegoat, particularly in the discussions surrounding youth suicides and depression. So, now that we students are being actively encouraged to remain in our rooms, by ourselves, all day, staring at a screen, how can we protect our mental health?

It is not surprising that many students are reporting feeling completely overwhelmed, with many dropping out of university all together. The threat of city lockdowns, isolation periods, worrying about vulnerable family members or catching and spreading the virus can all culminate making an already stressful period, much worse. What is alarming, however, is the irreversible effect that these periods of solitude could have on a student’s mental health. This is becoming more and more painfully obvious as, since Finn’s passing 3 weeks ago, 4 more students have taken their own lives. It is important to remember them as more than a statistic, each of these students had families, friends and their lives ahead of them and maybe more should have been done to prevent their deaths. In his Instagram post, Ben West made the point that ‘too often, universities focus on what they have done right when something tragic like this happens and this is a ‘fatally wrong’ approach. ‘We need to get to a point where we can spot that we all have a role to play in preventing these deaths... because we cannot live in a world where we accept the fact that people die because of their mental health.’ Was this considered enough by government and universities before sending us back? It remains to be seen, but the current situation would suggest maybe not.

In these confusing and unprecedented times make sure to check in on your friends, and maybe even more importantly other students around you, you never know who may need some help.

Some useful resources;

Papyrus (Prevention of Young Suicide) - 0800 068 41 41

CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) - 0800 58 58 58

The Samaritans - 116 123

Ben’s #SaveOurStudents petition to get mental health training for teachers: https://www.change.org/p/saveourstudents