Mental Health of University Students Deteriorates Due to Financial Pressures
Key Highlights :
University students are increasingly at risk of depression and anxiety due to the financial strain of higher education, a new study has revealed. The research, which is the first to find evidence of slightly higher levels of depression and anxiety among students, challenges earlier work suggesting that the mental health of students is the same as or better than their peers.
According to Dr Tayla McCloud, a researcher in the psychiatry department at University College London (UCL), the link between university and poor mental health could be due to “increased financial pressures and worries about achieving high results in the wider economic and social context”. With rent rises averaging at 8% and far outstripping the average maintenance loan in many cities, students are struggling to cope with the financial burden of higher education.
Dr Gemma Lewis, associate professor at UCL’s school of psychiatry, said that poorer mental health at university could have repercussions in later life. She said: “The first couple of years of higher education are a crucial time for development, so if we could improve the mental health of young people during this time it could have long-term benefits for their health and wellbeing, as well as for their educational achievement and longer term success.”
Research from King’s College London found that reported mental health problems among university students had almost tripled between 2016-17 and 2022-23, rising from 6% to 16%. The research found that among students considering dropping out of university, the proportion citing financial distress rose from 3.5% to 8% between 2022 and 2023.
The findings suggest that higher levels of poor mental health in England could be linked to worries about money and academic achievement. It is therefore essential that universities provide support for students to ensure their mental health is not compromised by financial pressures. This could include providing more guidance on budgeting, offering more scholarships and bursaries, and providing access to mental health support services.
