Last week I attended an event to hear testimonies from those who have lost their loved ones to suicide whilst studying at university. The event called for a statutory duty of care to be created for universities towards their students. Starting university can be an incredibly daunting experience and the mental health of those studying should be a top priority.
During the Covid-19 pandemic I held a roundtable with students from my constituency where we discussed the impact of university life during a pandemic on their mental health. I was struck by the scale of the issue and will continue to do all I can to improve mental health support.
I took part in a meeting with the Minister for Mental Health. Topics discussed included: student mental health, mental health first aid training, high risk groups and more funding for support. I also raised the issues of suicide among the Veteran community and improving early intervention services for young people.
