The document discusses the importance of prioritizing university student mental health. It notes that 1 in 4 young people experience mental illness each year, and psychological distress is higher among university students, especially in certain faculties. Barriers to students seeking treatment include stigma, lack of awareness of services, and fear of impacts to their studies. Improving early intervention and monitoring of student mental health issues could generate cost savings through higher completion rates and reduced downstream health costs. The document calls for universities to recognize student mental health as a core part of education delivery and implement evidence-based practices and partnerships to better support students.

1. University Student Mental Health…a priority
for everyone
Frances Kay-Lambkin PhD
National Health and Medical Research Council Research Fellow

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Person A has been referred for aggressive behaviour during practical skills
tutorials.
• Received ‘red flags’ for concerns about communication.
• Declined previous offers of support.
• Falling asleep during tutorials.
Person B has been ’flagged’ due to failing practical skills exams.
• Very confident in tutorials.
• Unable to perform particular tasks due to fear of germs.
Person C has was a DNA at several compulsory practical skills exams and
submitted an Adverse Circumstances Application.
• Previous history of anxiety which had been managed through her GP
• Experienced a panic attack during an assessment.
Some case examples…

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The mental health of Australians
NSMHWB (2007)

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When do mental disorders begin?
0
years
old
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85
year
s old
“When was the first time you had symptoms like…”
“When was the last time you had symptoms like…”
“How old were you the very first time you ever drank an alcoholic beverage…”
“How old were you the first time you talked to a health professional about your use of alcohol…”
Onset of
Anxiety
Disorder –
age 15
Onset of
Alcohol Use
Disorder – age
20
Onset of
Affective
Disorder –
age 24
First talked to health
professional about
alcohol use – age 38
Onset of
alcohol use –
age 16

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In 2015 there were over 1.4 million university students
• 26 per cent were international students;
• 1.1 per cent self-identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander;
• 19.2 per cent were students in regional areas;
• 16.5 per cent were people from low socioeconomic backgrounds.
Most began their studies directly after secondary school (3/5
aged 15-24 years).
Inside Universities…
Orygen “Under the Radar” Report
https://www.orygen.org.au/Policy-Advocacy/Policy-Reports/Under-the-radar

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Limited research data…not regularly collected or monitored.
National mental health prevalence data indicate that 1 in 4 young people
experience mental ill-health each year.
Significantly higher levels of psychological distress among university
students (Stallman, 2010, Stallman, 2008, Larcombe, 2014).
• Especially medicine, law, psychology, and mechanical faculty students (Leahy,
2010) and rural and regional student populations (Mulder and Cashin, 2015).
Vivekenanda et al. (2011) found psychological distress within a Australian
university counselling service population had increased in both
complexity and severity over a period of five years.
Inside Universities
Orygen “Under the Radar” Report
https://www.orygen.org.au/Policy-Advocacy/Policy-Reports/Under-the-radar

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Holmes Rahe Life Stress Invent
150-330 points = 50% chance
of major health breakdown in
next 2 years.
330+ points = 80% chance
277 points
372 points

8. The Difference is Research
However…
• Fewer than 30% of individuals with mental disorders seek
help.
• Treatment seeking for affective disorders occurs 8 years
earlier than it does for alcohol use disorder, despite both
emerging at the same time.
• Delay to seeking treatment among those with alcohol use
disorders is 18 years after onset.
Effective prevention, early intervention, and
treatment can significantly reduce disease
burden and downstream costs
National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing
Kay-Lambkin et al. (2014) JART http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2155-6105.S10-009
Chapman C, Slade T, Hunt C, Teesson M (2015) Delay to first treatment contact for
alcohol use disorder. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 147, 116-121

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• Half as likely to visit a GP for a mental health problem than general
population
• Less than ¼ access mental health services
• Services not catering well for comorbid mental illness and alcohol/other
drug use in young people;
• Service access designed around the need for young people to come to
them, rather than taking services to where young people already are;
• Fear of confidentiality breaches, lack of trust, and embarrassment in
discussing personal issues;
• Lack of awareness and knowledge about services and how to access
them
Barriers to treatment access in youth

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• 39% of students surveyed had sought treatment for mental
illness when present
• Those who did not:
• Stigma, shame, jeopardise academic and occupational
outcomes, did not know where to go or what to do.
Inside Universities

11. Orygen “Under the Radar” Report
https://www.orygen.org.au/Policy-
Advocacy/Policy-Reports/Under-the-radar
• “…there is a need to ensure that the mental
health and wellbeing of university students
is included within the core business of higher
education delivery in Australia…”

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• A 2015 study into the economic benefits of student
mental health services concluded that early
intervention could generate a windfall in improved
completion, yielding a $6.49 return on every dollar
spent.
In the USA…

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• Students with an experience of mental ill-health are more
likely to consider exiting, or exit, their course early.
• Impact on future mental health, education, employment pathways.
• Likely to cost government/s through:
• Lost investment through course non-completion.
• Downstream costs to mental health and alcohol/other drug systems
Inside Universities…

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• Name it and provide ongoing monitoring and advocacy on
this issue
• Recognise Universities as key settings for prevention and early
intervention
• Higher education policy and strategy
• Measure it so it counts: improve research and data collection.
• Implement, share and scale- up evidence-based practice:
• Partnerships with mental health networks
• Harness the resources, innovation, and expertise within
• Technology
How do we do this?
Orygen “Under the Radar” Report
https://www.orygen.org.au/Policy-Advocacy/Policy-Reports/Under-the-radar

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Frances Kay-Lambkin
Frances.kaylambkin@newcastle.edu.au
Brain and Mental Health Priority Research Centre
University of Newcastle
www.uoneclipse.com.au
www.eclipse.org.au