Monday 10-02-2020 - 10:37

Following the 2017-18 UCU strikes, Durham SU polled students to find out what they thought the unspent staff wages should be spent on. Over 1000 students responded to this poll, and it was clear that mental health support was a priority. This focus area was split down into two goals: mental health training for students, and mental health staffing. 

Now, after a lot of hard work, I’m really pleased to be able to look back and say we’ve delivered what Durham students asked us for. We’ve successfully increased staffing in the Counselling Service and launched two levels of mental health training for students: Level 1 for all, and Level 2 for Student Leaders. 

Why is this important?

The mental health training, which is now available on duo under ‘Durham SU Mental Health Training’, has already been accessed over 800 times. The aim of the training is to empower Durham students to feel confident, equipped and comfortable in talking about and responding to mental health concerns. We know that mental health is an area of concern for many students nationally, with the university environment often exacerbating feelings of stress and anxiety in particular. 

We also recognise the importance of challenging the stigma around mental health and the need for open, honest conversations. We know that poor mental health, whether it be affecting yourself or somebody you are supporting, can sometimes feel scary and overwhelming. That’s why we made sure that our training covers a range of issues, including things to look out for, self-care, and responding to distress and crisis. 

How was the training developed? 

We wanted any training we developed for students to be relevant, useful and engaging. To do this, we recruited two Project Boards of students (one for each level of the training), who helped us to develop the content. We also had significant input from the University Counselling Service, who helped to ensure the training was appropriate and effective. Then, external developers were hired to create the training package online, with videos and activities to improve engagement and accessibility. 

How can students access the training? 

Both levels of training are now available to all students on duo, under ‘My Organisations and Training – Durham SU Mental Health Training’. Each module takes around 30-40 minutes to complete in full, but you can visit the page as many times as you need to if you don’t want to complete the whole thing in one go, or you feel you need a refresher. 

Where can I find support? 

If you’re concerned about somebody’s mental health, or are struggling yourself, there’s lots of support available to you in Durham. Some of your options include:
•    Your College support staff. 
•    The NHS (your GP) 
•    Talking Changes 
•    The University Counselling Service 
•    Nightline 

You can find out more about the support available in Durham here. 
In an emergency, always call 999.