Mental Health Support - Answers that Matter

The UWS Counselling and Disability Services are committed to offering professional and timely support to all UWS staff and students. In relation to mental health, we shall endeavour to:

• Promote student mental health and well-being
• Support students experiencing difficulties or needing adjustments
• Raise awareness generally in the university community
• Raise awareness among staff of mental health issues, services and procedures

A mental illness can have significant impact upon thinking processes, emotions, perceptions, motivation and confidence, resulting in difficulties in learning, problem solving and achieving academic and vocational goals.

This site has been organised into the following sections:

Myths, Misunderstanding & Facts About Mental Illness
Mental Illness That Students May Experience
What Are the Effects of Mental Illness?
Rights, Roles & Responsibilities
Providing Support For Students & Staff
Resources & Contacts

What is mental health?

The term ‘mental health’ often makes people think immediately of ‘mental illness’. Mental ill health is surrounded by myths, uncertainty and ignorance. Because of this it is often thought of as something which happens to other people. In reality, the distinction between ‘mental illness’ and ‘mental health’ is not as clear cut as we might like to think. Most of us at some time feel over-stressed or unhappy. If these feelings go on for a long time, they can become a real problem, interfering with the quality of our everyday life and relationships with other people.

Mental health refers to the capacity to live in a resourceful and fulfilling manner, having the resilience to deal with the challenges and obstacles that life presents. It has to do with how you think, feel and act. In general, people with good mental health:

• Have a positive attitude - they look forward to the challenges of life
• Feel good about themselves and others
• Act responsibly in their work and their relationships
• Have the resources to manage problems and obstacles that might arise
• Behaviour, thoughts and emotions tend to be relevant to the context

Mental health problems

Mental health problems exist across a spectrum of states of mind and behaviours, from temporary responses to painful events through to more debilitating and persistent conditions. At some time in our life we will all experience adverse life events. At such times it is not unusual for a person to experience symptoms such as: lack of energy; loss of interest in everyday life activities; changes in sleep or appetite patterns; inability to make decisions; irritability or moodiness; confusion; sexual problems; or feelings of helplessness and hopelessness.

Problems arise when the above symptoms become severe or long-lasting or if they start to negatively affect every facet of your life, eg, relationships, personal health, job and academic performance. For some people the stress they experience at these times may lead to the start of a mental health disorder.

What is mental illness?

‘Mental illness’ is not the same as poor mental health. The term covers a broad range and severity of disorders, and the experience of a particular illness will vary between individuals. Broadly speaking, mental illnesses can be divided into two types – psychotic and nonpsychotic illnesses.

Psychoses – mental illnesses in which the symptoms are so severe that the person loses touch with reality, for example schizophrenia, bipolar disorder. If undiagnosed, people with psychoses are usually unaware that they are ill or that their behaviour is uncharacteristic or inappropriate.

Non-psychotic illness – refers to more common syndromes with less serious symptoms, although they can be very disturbing for the person involved. The person is aware that they are ill and has concerns about it. These include anxiety, depression, phobias, eating disorders and obsessive compulsive disorder.

Studying at University can be a stressful time in a person’s life. Excessive and cumulative stress from academic, social or financial pressure, lack of familiar surroundings, and drug or alcohol abuse can trigger the onset of a mental health condition in some young people. Students with existing mental health conditions may also find themselves more severely affected than most by these pressures, which may worsen any existing symptoms.

These illnesses have an impact upon thinking processes, emotions, perceptions, motivation and confidence, resulting in difficulties in learning, problem solving and achieving academic and vocational goals. However, mental illness does not necessarily have to be a barrier to successful study.

What causes mental illness?

There are usually very complex ‘causes’ involving a combination of biological, psychological and social factors. These include:

• Genetics (a tendency to develop an illness has a hereditary component
• Exposure to trauma
• Physical problems (such as chemical imbalances in the brain and infections)
• Harmful learned behavior patterns
• Unhealthy family environments
• Cumulative stress and adverse life events

Mental disorders are more common in young adults than at any other age. The rates of depression and anxiety are high and the peak age range for the first onset of problems is between 18-24, coinciding for many people with their time as a student.