How does this affect me?

Mental health problems are more common among people studying/working in academic environments than the general population.

• For students University life comes with its challenges, including intense studying, stressful exams and living away from home.
• Staff also face pressures such as juggling work and family commitments, meeting deadlines and dealing with team changes.

In terms of being at University it is not unusual for mental health difficulties to be linked to loss of concentration, sleeping too much or too little or inability to meet deadlines.

We also need to be mindful of mental health problems impacting on particular populations of our community:

• LGBTQ staff and students are more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression and have suicidal thoughts
• Our BAME community are more likely to disengage from mainstream mental health services, leading to social exclusion and a deterioration in their mental health
• People with caring responsibilities can let their own mental health suffer

But I don't have a mental health problem...

Everyone has mental health, so it is important to be aware of the support available in case of illness - problems can occur at any time.

You may not have a problem yourself, but it likely that a colleague or a student you know does. Mental health problems are very common, with 1 in 4 people experiencing a problem at some point in their lives.

Being aware of what mental health problems entail is important because many people (9 in 10) experience discrimination, and the stigma that surrounds mental health means that many do not seek help and support when they need it most.