Thousands of third-level students seeking support for anxiety, depression, and isolation

There was a 'significant rise' in the number of students presenting last year with low mood, isolation, loneliness, and anxiety, according to PCHEI chairwoman Treasa Fox.

An increasing number of third-level students are seeking mental health support amid increases in anxiety, depression, and isolation, according to the Psychological Counsellors in Higher Education in Ireland (PCHEI) group.

Counsellors say many are "languishing" due to a lack of support, with student counselling services (SCS) across Ireland experiencing increased demand for services, with a large number of students presenting.

PCHEI has highlighted the need for additional funding and resources to deal with the issue.

In the academic year 2020/2021, some 14,386 students attended 69,030 counselling appointments in SCSs across Ireland, an increase of almost 2,000 students and 4,000 appointments compared to the previous year.

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The latest SCS data shows that the number of students presenting with a host of issues, from anxiety and depression to suicidal thoughts and self-harm, has increased between 2010 and 2020.

PCHEI chairwoman Treasa Fox highlighted a growing demand for student mental health services across the country.

Ms Fox revealed that student mental health services across Ireland saw a “significant rise” in the number of students presenting last year with low mood, isolation, loneliness, and anxiety.

“It might not hit the markers for clinical depression, but they are experiencing low mood, social anxiety, general anxiety, isolation, and loneliness,” she explained.

“Even with the lifting of restrictions and the return to campus for many people, this has not gone away.

It’s taking quite a bit of time to work with the student to come through that.” 

Ms Fox explained that the demand for SCS services has exceeded supply in recent years, even pre-pandemic up to the end of 2019, and that services have not been able to keep pace.

The ratio of counsellors to students remains far short of international best practice. While it has improved since 2019 to a rate of one counsellor for every 2,500 students, the recommended ratio — according to international standards — is one counsellor to 1,000 students.

Ms Fox explained that “not many institutes in Ireland”, barring maybe some of the smaller ones, have met that ratio.

While SCS did receive funding to cater for the demand for student mental health services during the Covid-19 pandemic, Ms Fox described it as “a drop in the ocean”.

Government response

A spokesperson for the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science said: “In 2020 and 2021, a total of €5m was allocated to the higher education institutions to support student mental health and wellbeing.

“This funding, allocated by the Higher Education Authority, included €2m delivered through the recurrent grant model to higher education institutions, along with an additional €3m secured as part of the Covid-19 response package.” 

The spokesperson added that the department is aware of research highlighting the need for long-term mental health service provision following a major emergency, as well as research highlighting the pandemic’s severe impact on the mental health of young adults.

“In this regard, the funding allocation for mental health and wellbeing service provision in higher education is being considered as part of the estimates process for the upcoming budget,” the spokesperson concluded.