Mental health charity, HUMEN, has released their first league table ranking UK universities based on their support for students’ mental health. Of the 80 universities included in the study, the University of Birmingham was ranked last.

Based on HUMEN’s methodology, which they say included surveys of over 7,200 students across the 80 universities, roughly 90 students per university, Birmingham scored 32.3. This score was slightly more than half of the University of Reading’s 62.5, the highest on the list. The report included scores for Satisfaction, Engagement, Awareness, Financing, and Service Provision. UoB was rated poor for Engagement and very poor for Satisfaction and Awareness, though the university’s low ranking is also impacted by the lack of data for Financing and Service Provision.

UoB was rated poor for Engagement and very poor for Satisfaction and Awareness

However, the league table has drawn criticism from charity Student Minds, who said they have ‘serious concerns’ about the study, fearing that it could be ‘misleading, harmful, and negatively impact student choice.’

The charity raised concerns about HUMEN’s methodology, criticising their sampling approach and lack of engagement with scholarship on student mental health. Student Minds also described HUMEN’s metrics as ‘arbitrary and not grounded in evidence.’

Redbrick reached out to students who have used the University’s well-being and support services. One student told us, ‘Originally, I sent my first application to them last summer and I had never used any kind of mental health service before so I was quite anxious to send an application in and felt quite back and forth about reaching out for help. 

‘They told me that they’d get back to me about scheduling an appointment in the next few weeks but never did. I already felt nervous about sending in the application form and therefore didn’t want to raise it up any further at the time. 

‘Over half a year later, I decided to email them again after my mental health took another turn for the worse and asked whether they’d still be able to offer the counselling sessions. They apologised for the delay and said that my case was an “unusual situation” and that they would look into what might have happened (although they never gave an answer)’

Another, speaking specifically about their experience with well-being in the maths department, said, ‘My flatmate last year and I both do maths and tried to use the well-being services when we were struggling throughout the year, sending emails saying that our work was being affected and that we would like some support. 

‘In response we got an automated email about a week after and all it said was to make sure not to apply for an extension after work is due, and didn’t address that we could see anyone. We both gave up on it after that, it just didn’t seem helpful or sufficient.’

We both gave up on it after that, it just didn’t seem helpful or sufficient

Another student told us, ‘It’s tough because honestly well-being services are underfunded. Students at university are just numbers and money to the university and there are no long term solutions to the mental health crisis on campus. Yes there is UBHeard but genuinely until the university has a mental health service that prioritises students over cost it won’t be enough.’

Speaking about a particular incident with their personal tutor, the student said, ‘I faced a lot of “oh do you have anyone you can talk to” by my personal tutor who saw me in a personal crisis and was apathetic [in] his reaction to the massive amount of hurt I was going through, and I was sobbing so much and he kept trying to make jokes and light of it.

‘Staff should receive mental health first aid training as a minimum’ they concluded.

Staff should receive mental health first aid training as a minimum

We were also contacted by multiple students who told us that, because they had heard such negative reports from friends, decided not to seek help through the University.

However, those who did manage to obtain support told Redbrick that they found the support helpful. One student told us, ‘I got a very quick response with immediate help. The counselling consisted of zoom calls which I didn’t particularly mind too much. 

‘The counselling sessions were more than helpful and gave me a crutch to get myself back on my feet mentally. My counsellor completely understood a situation that I thought no one would understand, providing more articles and resources about things such as “heartbreak” that certainly made me feel less alone and more understood as opposed to feeling like I’m being over dramatic or deserving of this anguish. 

‘Overall, the university’s mental health service, in my experience, was crucial. They listened, they understood and they advised. I didn’t know it was possible to have my own feelings explained to me in a better way.’

They listened, they understood and they advised

A spokesperson for the University of Birmingham said:

‘We take our responsibility to students very seriously and provide a comprehensive range of well-being and support services. We invest more than £2m annually on staff and partner services who directly support students with their mental health and well-being. We do not recognise the data in this league table or how it was derived and believe it is at best misleading. It does not reflect the significant investment the University has made or service enhancements seen in recent years.

We do not recognise the data in this league table

‘The University regularly seeks feedback from students on service quality and priorities including, this year, our first annual well-being survey which asked students to rate their own mental well-being and an independent review of student feedback from the University’s Guild of Students. Positive and constructive feedback from students informs us of our continuous improvement, awareness-raising and campaigning. In response to student feedback this year we have launched a significant “time to talk” campaign encouraging students to access support at particular times in the academic year.  We have also been targeting students who are under-represented in accessing support, including but not limited to male students.

‘The University provides an extensive network of support services, including our 24/7 year-round mental health support service, UBHeard, and we work very closely with specialist providers and agencies within the city of Birmingham. The Mental Health and Well-being Service is staffed by a team of experienced and qualified Practitioners who provide therapeutic support. Leading academics from the University’s Institute of Mental Health deliver research-informed guidance that informs practice to respond to suicidal behaviours and suicide prevention. Our specialist Pause service, tried and tested elsewhere in the city, provides no-wait drop-in services for students delivered in partnership with the Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and the Children’s Society.

‘First responders at the University receive Mental Health First Aid training and the University has its own trainers to deliver this. Mechanisms for supporting vulnerable students and those at risk are embedded in our support and escalation procedures that underpin our approach to supporting student mental health and well-being.’

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