In 2017, there were 2.32 million students studying at UK higher education institutions. With one in four of people having mental health issues, there are up to 580,000 students in the UK relying on university mental health services. However, across the UK universities have understaffed counselling services.
Higher education minister, Sam Gyimah, believes universities should act as ‘loco-parentis’ or stand in parents for their students. However, many have responded by saying that it is impractical.
University is often the first step of independence as students move away from home and start taking care of their own health.
Steve Fuller, professor of sociology at Warwick University told The Guardian that “this idea is a consumerist one. It is saying kids have to feel good at university as they are paying for it”.
If the students prefer to use the NHS then parents will not be informed. From the age of 16 patients are treated as adults and disclosing patient information without consent can only be justified in very limited circumstances.
By acting in loco-parentis, universities may push students towards the already stretched NHS or towards getting no treatment at all. Funding for mental health trusts is £105m lower than it was in 2012.
However not everyone agrees, in fact, during the online enrolment process, 94% of freshers and existing students at Bristol University expressed that they were in favour of the scheme, which is the first of its kind in the UK.
This opt-in scheme would allow the university to contact a student’s parent or guardian, should their mental health deteriorate during the academic year.
Bristol University is the first to take these steps after being criticised after 10 students are suspected to have committed suicide over two years.