The end of September sees many students make their way to Universities, moving into halls and starting their initial set of lectures.

While this is an exciting time, and many look back on their student life as the best time in their life, we also see a high number of students struggling with their mental health.

Commonly seen student lifestyle factors such as irregular sleeping patterns, work pressures, poor diet, lack of exercise, and alcohol consumption are all risk factors for poor mental health. In reflection of this, we have released a Student Mental Health toolkit, with tips and advice on different parts of student life:

• Preparing for becoming a student
• Being a fresher
• Deadline season
• Being a mature, or stay-at-home student
• Being on work placements

The toolkit also features coping strategies, wellbeing techniques and where to find support. Sam Clarke, Solent Mind Digital Content Officer and recent Solent University graduate said: “While my student life would go on to be very happy, the first couple of years, were some of the lowest moments of my life. I was either in a constant battle with anxious thoughts that made me physically ill, or I was so numb I didn’t feel anything at all, with self harm becoming a regular habit and suicidal thoughts never too far away.

“This was condemned by the impression I had that everyone else was having a much better time than me, and I was too broken for this experience everyone else is thriving in. Even my later years at University, which were easily a couple of the best years of my life, came with overwhelmingly challenging spells of my mental illness getting the best of me again.”

Our area of the country has many brilliant Universities; Solent University, University of Southampton, University of Portsmouth and University of Winchester. Each city has student life as a key part of its demographic.

Sam explained: “At Solent Mind we have four fantastic Universities in our area, and we want to ensure the student population knows what is available to them from us, as well as within their own Universities.”

You can check out the Student Mental Health toolkit on the Solent Mind resources library.

If you are affected by anything we spoke about in this piece, please reach out to our Support Line on 023 8017 9049, or access the webchat via our website.