Newcastle University has ranked 76th in the country in a new mental health league table

Newcastle University has ranked 76th in the country in a survey ranking university’s mental health support services.

80 of the biggest universities in the UK were surveyed by the charity HUMEN who classified the universities based on the quality and wait time of mental health services they offer, as well as how much is spent on services and student support.

The league table found University of Reading placed first whilst University of Birmingham was last, with Russel Group universities Newcastle, Nottingham and Southampton all in the bottom 10.

Newcastle University boasts its Russel Group and Red Brick status, ranked 1st in the UK for sustainable development in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2022 and recently boasting on Instagram a rise of 10 places as one of the World’s top 125 universities.

The table was created following mental health campaigner Ben West’s efforts to make universities include mental health support services as part of their rankings, following the loss of his brother to suicide in 2018. Over 40,000 people signed a petition he set up as a result.

Student mental health undoubtedly worsened during the pandemic and continues to be affected by the lasting effects, with mental health charities such as MANUP, Mind and Nightline making a continuous effort to make students aware of their services.

The 80 universities in the Mental Health League Table have been assessed across five fields, including student satisfaction, engagement, awareness, financing and provision. The table is set to rival other purely academic league tables and is set to be updated annually, however some universities which failed to respond to HUMEN were marked down as a result.

CEO and founder of HUMEN River Hawkins said: “We want universities and students to consider mental support just as much as they value academic performance.

“We all talk about the importance of the parallel of physical and mental health, it should be the same with academia and mental health support in universities”.

The league table hopes to help prospective students choose the right university for them, with the growing awareness of the importance of mental health a key driver for the creation of the study.

Both Ben and River believe that the government could and should be doing more, but encourage students to campaign to push for change themselves and use the table to make an informed decision on where they want to study. It is hoped that the table will encourage universities improve their mental health services and compete with one another to rise within the league rankings.

Find out more here or view HUMEN’s full University Mental Health League Table here.

If you or someone you know has been affected by this story, please speak to someone or contact Samaritans on 116 123 at any time. You can also contact Anxiety UK on 03444 775 774, Mind on 0300 123 3393, and Calm (Campaign against living miserably, for men aged 15 to 35) on 0800 58 58 58. 

If you’ve got a story you’d like to tell us – whether it’s difficulties with getting uni support, or anything you think we should hear, get in touch in confidence by emailing [email protected]

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