Student mental health action plan: Fairer Scotland Duty summary

Summary of Evidence

Scotland's student population comprises over half a million full-time and part-time students enrolled in colleges and universities. This diverse group includes individuals from various backgrounds and age ranges, with around 60% of university and college enrolments being under the age of 24.

The Thriving Learners research Higher Education, 2021 and Colleges, 2022) highlighted the significant impact of mental health challenges on students. Nearly three-quarters of university students reported low wellbeing, over a third experienced moderately severe or severe symptoms of depression, and nearly half felt the need for professional help due to a serious psychological issue. A similar trend was observed in a the 2022 survey of college students.

There is evidence to suggest that mental health issues are more prevalent in students from SIMD Quintile 1 (that is the most deprived 20%), given the high number of responses from this group (See table on p.31 of Thriving Learners Higher Education report).

Social inequalities are associated with increased risk of many common mental disorders (Social Detriments of Mental Health, 2014). Research in Scotland showed that economic inequality at a societal level underpins and acts as a driver for all other relationships, impacting on family affluence/poverty, social stratification and inequalities, leading to stressors in the home, and resulting, among other things, in an increased risk of the development of mental health disorders (Mowat, 2019).

Children and young people living in more deprived areas in Scotland have lower mental health and wellbeing according to SDQ, WEMWBS , and life satisfaction measurements (Health and Wellbeing Census, 2023).

The Scottish Health Survey 2023 reports an increase, following two years of decline (2020 and 2021), in the WEMWBS scores for adults. While not directly comparable with research carried out as part of Public Health Scotland’s 2022 publication, this previous dip may be explained by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on mental health.

The PHS data resonates with others (NHS Scotland, 2017; Covid Recovery Strategy, 2021; Scotland’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, 2023) in that some groups, even prior to Covid, were, and continue to be, disproportionally affected by poor mental health, with those from socially-economically disadvantaged groups being at increased risk.