Mental Health Advisor
Within College, mental health care is a critical part of our support system.
Although Cambridge still has a lower dropout rate than the average for UK universities, studying here can be stressful. In 2016, we appointed a Mental Health Advisor for a few hours per week to enable our members to benefit from early specialist support. Now, thanks to a donation from Sarah Bates (1977), we have been able to increase her hours to 18 per week. Dr Clare Jackson, Senior Tutor, explains how important this is:
“The Mental Health Advisor provides an invaluable specialist service, seeing students and supporting the Tutors and other College staff in identifying and implementing ways of promoting student wellbeing.”
The value of being College-based enables her to see students very quickly. Early intervention for emerging health issues can help prevent more serious problems later on. A College-based role also enables her to offer more flexibility for students and integrate better into the College welfare system, liaising with Tutors about coordinating their tutees’ support needs.
