STUDENT HEALTH & WELLBEING:
FACTS AND FIGURES
INTRODUCTION
In common with other Scottish Universities, Heriot-Watt University has experienced a
significant increase in the number of requests for information for data relating to student
mental ill-health, access to counselling services and health & wellbeing funding. We
recognise that there is a high level of stakeholder interest but at the same time, we wish
to maintain the same level service and support provided by our Counsellors and
Wellbeing staff (who hold this data) to the students.
In order to continue providing a service to our students and meeting our transparency
requirements, we have drafted this Factsheet, providing information in the format we
record but taking into account what has been requested predominately by journalists,
and some Mental Health Charities and other stakeholders.
We do not currently compile statistical information relating to the take-up of our
counselling services by Undergraduate/Postgraduate study or gender (see section
below) as we have had no business reason to do so. More detailed information may be
contained in the individual patient files but resources would need to be diverted from
providing the vital counselling function in order to create a new dataset and this could
be very time consuming.
HOW MANY STUDENTS ATTEND COUNSELLING AT OUR SCOTTISH
CAMPUSES?
We present these figures as they are recorded and span the last 6 academic years.
Academic
Presenting with
No. of students
Students attending
year
Anxiety or
at our Scottish counselling as a % of
Depression
campuses
students/ Scottish
campuses
2012-2013
284
8,058
4%
2013-2014
316
8,600
4%
2014-2015
430
8,890
5%
2015-2016
526
8,887
6%
2016-2017
457
9,443
4%
2017-2018
462
10,935
4%
Academic
Presenting
No. of students
Students attending
year
with other
at our Scottish
counselling as a %
issues*
campuses
of students/ Scottish
campuses
2012-2013
128
8,058
2%
2013-2014
126
8,600
1%
2014-2015
85
8,890
1%
2015-2016
132
8,887
1%
2016-2017
306**
9,443
3%
2017-2018
394
10,935
4%
*This includes students seeking counselling for a range of other issues e.g. academic, financial.
** Our University introduced a new recording system in the 2016-17 Academic year. The ‘other’ category
now also includes academic issues, relationships, self and identity, etc.
The number of students at our Scottish campuses has increased by 36% over the same
period.
Our Wellbeing recording system was further enhanced in the 2017-18 academic year
and we can now report on the gender numbers at a high level. Of the 856 making
individual referrals to the Counselling Service, 46% were Male, and 54% Female. We
do not break this information down by ‘presenting problems’ categories.
Local counselling arrangements are also in place to support our students at the Dubai
and Malaysia campuses. For additional information, please email us at
xxx@xx.xx.xx
HEALTH AND W ELLBEING: FUNDING AND STAFFING LEVELS
Our Counselling Service forms part of the larger Professional Services group: Academic
Registry and at present the costs are not broken down to the functional level. The
information is exempt from release under Section 17: information not held.
To reflect the increased demand, the staffing level has increased from 1.7 full-time
equivalents (FTE) in 2012/13 to 4.1 FTEs in 2017/18.
WAITING TIMES AND ASSESSMENTS
We do not record waiting times but we aim to see the majority of our clients for formal
counselling sessions within 10 working days. During periods of very high demand and
where we anticipate that a patient may not be seen within the target date, we have a
system whereby we prioritise the most vulnerable patients.
We also offer daily drop sessions for students to discuss issues with Wellbeing staff. In
the 2017/18 academic year, a total of 274 students attended this service.
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The University continues to provide counselling services for the students throughout
their stay at the University including term breaks. This means that there will be people
The Wellbeing services will cease being provided once the student graduates or leaves
the University.
ADDITIONAL W E SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS
• Increased the number of group work sessions, to include developing skills in
mindfulness and in dealing with social anxiety, with exam stress and in overcoming
nerves when making presentations
• We launched our new Student Wellbeing Centre in the 2017/18 academic year
which brought together counselling and support services, disability support services,
specialist support services for mental health and support for students who may be
struggling academically
• Any of our students going through a tough time can now access free online support
with
Big White Wall: a service that provides 24/7 online peer and professional
support
• We also hav
e a Student Mental health policy as well as
a staff leaflet on Student
mental ill health.
ADDITIONAL READING
As additional contextual information, we thought you might find the following report from
Universities UK useful:
http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/policy-and-analysis/reports/Pages/student-mental-
wellbeing-in-higher-education.aspx
You may also find t
he Royal College of Psychiatrists' Report on the Mental Health of
Students in Higher Education in 2011 useful as additional background information.
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Document Outline