Perhaps an unknown figure to many in the sector, Tressler, the chief executive of mental health charity Student Minds, features more on our list for the issue that her organisation represents. Student mental health is an area of growing concern for universities. According to one study, nearly one-third of students experience clinical levels of psychological distress, and HEFCE reported a 150% increase in demand for student mental health support services in 2015 alone.
While NHS services for mental health are squeezed, it has fallen increasingly to universities themselves to find cost-efficient and effective ways of supporting their students, with the added pressure of non-continuation statistics’ inclusion in TEF. This is challenge that is not going away, and advice and support from figures such as Tressler and organisations such as Student Minds is more invaluable to institutions than ever.