Sunday 10th October is World Mental Health Day.
You'll often hear "it's okay not to be okay" - it's very clichéd but it's very very true. We've had 18 months of turmoil and, for many of us, that was reflected in our mental health. But one good thing that came from the pandemic, is that it did generate a lot of mental health awareness and discussions about this topic. However, whether we're going through a global pandemic or not (don't worry that's the last mention of the pandemic), mental health difficulties are common, varied, but often incredibly impactful. Talking about it should be routine because it DOES help, even if it is difficult to at the start. So, this World Mental Health Day, please be mindful of your own wellbeing and actively engage in discussions about it with those around you.
In this blog, I want to highlight some of the events we've planned as part of WMHD, the work your SU are doing in this area, as well as where you can seek support if you ever feel it would be helpful for you.
EVENTS:
We've organised some events as part of World Mental Health Day for you to get involved in:
Film Screening: Monday 11th October
In collaboration with Nightline and Student Minds, we will be showing "It's Kind of a Funny Story" in Chancellors' Building 1.10. The event is FREE but please sign up through the following link so we know how many people will be coming: https://www.thesubath.com/ents/event/11786/. We will also be selling popcorn at the event to raise money for Bath Mind.
Coffee Afternoon: Wednesday 13th October
Come and join us at Lounge @ Dartmouth Avenue for Coffee and Cake and to meet other students! All proceeds will go towards RAG's Big 4 Charities, including Bath Mind.
Mental Health Discussion Event: Thursday 14th October
Student Minds will be hosting a talk and discussion, with a particular focus on male mental health, in the Edge Cafe. The event will run from 5:30pm until 7pm. There's no need to book, just turn up on the day! A wellbeing advisor will be on hand throughout the event, as there may be themes of self-harm and suicide,
MY WORK:
I want to mention what The SU are doing to improve mental health awareness and provision at the university, as well as what I'm doing, as your Community Officer. This is because, even though World Mental Health Day is one day, mental health awareness should be every day (sounds cringey but it's true).
Firstly, I am the biggest advocate for our student support groups, Nightline and Student Minds, who do some amazing work which I love supporting them with. I really believe that the students behind Nightline and Student Minds are some of the most selfless and kind-hearted people.
I work closely with Student Services, and will continue to represent your views to ensure their provision is effective, timely, and considered. The university has recently signed up to Student Minds Mental Health Charter, which I hope will guide and support this work this year. We will also soon be launching our Be Well Survey which gives us student feedback on a variety of wellbeing issues which we can use to guide our work in this area (so please fill it in!).
In particular, I'm hoping to ensure Student Services are effectively supporting students with more complex mental health needs. There's often a focus on anxiety and depression at universities; we need to ensure we're also providing effective support for students with eating disorders, psychosis, or personality disorders. Additionally, we're continually working with Student Services to ensure their provision is inclusive and consider the needs of all diverse groups of students.
But it's not just about reactive provision. We shouldn't be waiting until wellbeing issues develop to a level that students need support. For this reason, one of The SU's Top 10 this year focusses on preventative mental health provision. We want to push for student and staff training, workshops, and campaigns that encourage staff and students to recognise the early signs of any difficulties and seek support at this point.
SUPPORT:
If you have any concerns about your own or someone else's wellbeing, please reach out for support. The SU and university have a number of services you can contact. All of these services are available throughout the academic year. Here are a few that may be helpful:
- Student Services - Wellbeing: for help and advice on all welfare and wellbeing issues (Email: wellbeingservice@bath.ac.uk)
- Be Well-Talk Now: a 24 hour phone or live chat, available to students across the world, to talk through any problem you may have
- SU Advice and Support: offers confidential independent and non-judgemental information, advice and support. The advisors can help you with housing, academic, financial and personal concerns. Email suadvice@bath.ac.uk for a face-to-face or virtual appointment (Monday-Friday 10:00-16:00)
- Nightline: a student-run listening service running 8pm to 8am every night of the semester. You can call them (the number is on the back of your library card) or instant message them through this link.
I hope to see you at some of our events next week and make sure to look after yourselves!
Meg x