USI Demands Investment In Student Mental Health Ahead Of 2018 Budget
The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) is calling on the government to invest in student mental health ahead of the 2018 budget announcement. They are asking that €3 million euro be set aside to tackle any potential mental health crisis on campuses throughout the country. The call comes on World Mental Health day and with the news that some students in the country are on a six week waiting list to see a counsellor in their college.
A statement by USI president Michael Kerrigan on the USI website reads:
Budget 2018 should focus on improving mental health supports, and not on tax cuts. Waiting lists for third-level counselling services are currently seeing students waiting for up to six weeks to see a counsellor. Students are facing depression, anxiety, loneliness, substance misuse, and suicidal behaviour and can’t get the support they need. In light of the considerable demand of college, students are experiencing difficulties with their mental health as colleges budget allocations for counselling services, infrastructure and mental health supports need investment and to be ring-fenced.
Mr Kerrigan went on to say, ‘Figures from Psychological Counsellors in Higher Education Ireland (PCHEI) 2014-15 report shows 27% of students who used counselling services indicated counselling was a factor in their retention, and 23% indicated counselling helped with their academic performance. If Budget 2018 contained a small ring-fence of just €3m as an investment into mental health services and counselling services on campus, we would see a small step in preventing the death of students.
Lets hope that Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has taken the need for investment in student mental health seriously as a 6 month waiting list just to see a counsellor is a massive problem.