To ask the Minister of Health what actions are being taken to support the mental health of further and higher education students; and what action plan there is to support students to improve mental health outcomes.

Support services for students are primarily a matter for the Department for the Economy, however the health system is collaborating with higher education bodies to improve mental health outcomes for students.

The Department for Health published a Mental Health Strategy for Northern Ireland 2021-2031 on the 29th June 2021. There is clear evidence that the student population in Northern Ireland is vulnerable to mental ill health. It is important that we continue to work across government and sectors to intervene early to provide support to help students stay emotionally well and build resilience to support them in their learning journeys and lives beyond. The Strategy recognises the need to ensure that this group is targeted for preventative work and early intervention.

Action 8 of the Mental Health Strategy commits to the creation of a dedicated resource for student mental health across tertiary education through the existing delivery of mental health services.

The Belfast Health and Social Care Trust is part resourcing a pilot with Queens University Belfast and the University Of Ulster for students with a term time Belfast post code to provide a dedicated and responsive student mental health service, with the aim of better engagement and better clinical outcomes through early intervention. The project has completed year 2 and is being funded for a further year.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is working, on behalf of Department of Health (DoH), to increase the uptake of COVID-19 vaccinations in young people, with a key focus on students in further and higher education. Increasing the vaccination levels in the student population will reduce isolation and the mental health impacts of pandemic by supporting on campus learning and social opportunities.

The PHA is working with the Student Wellbeing Services in QUB and UU to develop wellbeing initiatives to support students during the academic year 2021/22. Each university has assessed the needs of their students and has submitted a proposal for funding programmes and resources they have identified as a priority for the coming year. Funding of £30,000 is available in year for each university. The funding includes support for programmes such as:

Mind your mood activities aligned to Take 5 Steps to Wellbeing;

A “Be Active” mental health referral programme;

A “Power Up & Get Connected” campaign targeting young men who are known to the university wellbeing team but are known not to be engaging with services; and

Support for Mind you Mood Student Ambassadors.

The PHA is also a member of the Student Wellbeing Networking Forum, which provides an opportunity for those involved in student wellbeing services in further and higher education to link and network with those involved in mental health and wellbeing services.

PHA annually funds the design, update and printing of the ‘Minding Your Head: Student Guide to Mental Health’. Printing has temporarily been stopped due to covid, however the resource is updated annually and shared with all new and current students in Universities and FE Colleges across NI. This is available online: Mind Your Head Booklet 09_20 final.pdf (hscni.net).

An Emotional Health and Wellbeing in Education Framework developed through DE, DoH and PHA has been published in recognition of the growing numbers of children and young people presenting with increasing levels of mental health issues. Joint funding of £6.5m has been secured through DE and DoH to support implementation of the framework.

Finally it is important to note that mental health services are available to anyone that requires support and this has continued throughout the pandemic.