Student mental health action plan

Student Mental Health Agreements (SMHAs)

Action Two: Robust institution-wide planning, local cooperation, and support for students through Think Positive and Student Mental Health Agreements.

To ensure a comprehensive and co-ordinated approach to prevention and early intervention in support of student mental health, each institution is strongly encouraged to develop a Student Mental Health Agreement (SMHA) or similar approach.

This document should serve as a central platform where the institution and its student body collaborate to set out all existing mental health and wellbeing initiatives including those outwith the college or university setting.

During 2022-2023, Think Positive supported 86% of all colleges, universities and students’ associations in Scotland to promote and develop their mental health support offer through the Student Mental Health Agreements project. SMHAs should be the platform where links to local authority and third sector service provision are identified and set out. West Lothian College and Dumfries and Galloway College, for example, have worked with their student bodies to develop such agreements which have enhanced the range of local services students can access. These are set out in Appendix One.

Collaborative action through SMHAs will also better facilitate access to a range of digital services such as NHS 24’s Mental Health Services (Mental Health Hub), Mind To Mind, Breathing Space, Spectrum Life, SilverCloud, and Togetherall.

There are also opportunities in SMHAs for closer working between institutions and local mental health services, suicide prevention groups, Alcohol and Drug Partnerships and other specialist addiction support groups.

Many local authority areas are revising their local suicide prevention action plans in light of national strategies, and there is now an opportunity for colleges and universities to inform this work.

SMHAs should continue to reflect the diversity of their student population and include information on how students can support their own mental health and wellbeing through access to, and participation in, student clubs and societies, including sport and culture, peer support, and the provision of opportunities for students, if they so wish, to identify with and participate in a faith community of their choice. Developing local approaches to tackling stigma around seeking help for mental health and wellbeing concerns should also be a key strand in a SMHA.

All students at college or university, including those on clinical, vocational or professional placements, should have awareness not only of these mental health and wellbeing resources and how to access them, but also of sources of financial advice.

We will work with institutions to ensure they are aware of the range and breadth of resources which are freely available, so that they may develop a local approach which best meets their needs.

A significant number of students live in student residences provided by universities and in Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA). That number, given the increase in PBSA provision, is likely to grow. Not only should these be maintained to a high standard, but colleges and universities should provide to all tenants residing in college, university, or privately-run PBSA, and clinical, vocational or professional placement accommodation, information on available student support and how to access this. This should be available in formats other than online, and frontline staff working within all types of student accommodation should have ready access to this information in order to provide advice when needed.

Action: We will continue to support and invest in the work of Think Positive over the duration of the Action Plan so that SMHAs can be drafted, maintained, and refined. This builds on the long-standing commitment that the Scottish Government has demonstrated towards the initiative.

To make this happen, the Scottish Government will bring together institutions, Public Health Scotland, See Me, Think Positive, PBSA providers, local authorities, and third sector organisations to share best practice from across the sector on how students can access information and wellbeing services.