Student Run Self Help (SRSH) is acharity established in 2009 to provide low-level, easily accessible support forstudents and young people with eating disorders. We have become increasinglyconcerned about the provision of care for students. To understand the situationmore clearly we have been speaking to students about mental health services,looking at what works and where improvements can be made. This reportsummarises recommendations that students have put forwards for changing andimproving care for students with eating disorders.

In 2010 – 2011 we ran aquestionnaire which was completed by over 300 students. Small focus groups wereconducted following the questionnaire to offer more in depth discussion of thesupport services available to students with eating disorders.

This report considers thecontribution of the University Counselling Service, the GPs, specialistservices and peer support systems. Focus groups also discussed the supportreceived from their university colleges and the university in general. In thesediscussions we were able to look at the care pathway for students and thinkabout how services linked up. This project aimed to find specific points forimprovement rather than focusing on problems.

While some students report fantasticstories of support and encouragement from tutors and service providers, theoverall picture suggests that these positive experiences are thanks to specificindividuals caring and understanding. There does not appear to be aconsistently adopted policy of care and support either in within a university,amongst GPs or even at the level of specialist services. This report makes thefollowing recommendations.

1)       Improvementscan be made in signposting;

·          Information about the support available forstudents and pathways to access suitable support should be made readilyavailable.

2)       UniversityCounselling Services could benefit from altering their model of support

·          University students feel it may be moreproductive to have long term support in a group setting than short term supporton a 1-2-1 basis.

·          Students would benefit from the counsellingservices employing CBT therapists to work alongside counsellors.

3)       Universitiesneed to increase the clarity of their support structures.

·          Universities should have a clear policy in placefor how they will respond to students with eating disorders. This policy shouldclarify what procedures will be followed if it is felt that students wouldbenefit from taking time away from university. Students should have easy accessto this policy; they should not have to ask a member of staff to see thispolicy.

·          Students should be involved in all decisionsmade by the university or their tutors; wherever possible they should beconsulted prior to decisions being made.

·          The university should take all reasonablemeasures to ensure that students who have to take time out of university areable to socialise with their peers and maintain these relationships.

4)       GPsshould implement processes for monitoring the physical and mental health of serviceusers who are not provided with a referral or are placed on a waiting list.

·          This should allow warning signs to be picked upquickly and patient deterioration to be notice early.

5)       Specialistservices should provide more support for service users beyond of the standardintervention.

·          Specialist clinics could allow service users toby-pass their GP if this was felt to be necessary.

·          Services need to improve the support theyprovide to service users who are waiting to access this service. Improvementscan be made in communication.

·          Services should reduce the pressure on serviceusers, allowing the possibility of changing therapeutic rather than stopping itif progress is not made.

·          Services need to improve the follow up supportthey offer service users after treatment. 

SRSH is now running a survey to find out about student experience of accessing mental health problems at universities across the country. If you want to get involved and help us understand the current state of affairs better, please complete the survey and forward it to any students you know! 

SURVEY