The stats are clear, men in UK universities have become a growing concern in recent years
Feelings of sadness or hopelessness, angry outbursts, irritability or frustration. Loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities. Sleep disturbance – either trouble sleeping or sleeping too much? Would you recognise the symptoms?
These are all potential symptoms of experiencing poor mental help and it is important you recognise these, so you know it is time to focus on you and your health. It is important to make time to implement your own coping activities, speak to a friend or family member and reaching out for support.
The National Union of Students (NUS) conducted a survey in 2020 and their research has shown that male students are less likely to seek help for mental health problems compared to their female counterparts, leading to a higher risk of serious consequences such as substance abuse, academic difficulties, and suicide.
This Movember, we are shining a spotlight on student men’s mental health. Over the month we will be bringing you videos and blogs from our male students, who openly talk about their mental health struggles and the importance in reaching out for help. We will also be looking ahead at some exciting projects, where we will be working with our students around the issues of mental health and how we can continue to encourage all students to reach out for help if they are struggling.
Finally, we have a series of events, listed below and on the Student Events page that we would love to see you at:
- Andy’s Man Club talk – Monday 4 November
Representatives from the charity will be coming to talk to us about our new partnership, their tools, resources, support groups, peer support and much more. - Andy's Man Club pop-up stand
We’ll be round campus with a pop up stand to talk anything about Movember, Andy’s Man Club, mental health and more.- Thursday 7 November, 1.00pm to 2.00pm at Portland Atrium
- Wednesday 13 November, 1.00pm to 2.00pm at Ravelin Sports Centre
- Tuesday 19 November, 1.00pm to 2.00pm at Eldon Atrium
- You Are Not Alone event
Student Life and the Student Wellbeing team will be joining forces with Portsmouth City Council with their ‘You Are Not Alone’ campaign and will be at the Library on Thursday 7 November between 11.00am and 2.00pm.
Take a Mo to talk about men's health!
This Movember, we’re committed to leading the charge in raising awareness and funds for men’s health.
Looking after our Mental Health | A Message from the Vice-Chancellor
If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, please reach out for support. We have many services to help you including the Student Wellbeing service, our Student Life team, our Chaplaincy and much more.
Hello, my name is Professor Graham Galbraith and I am the Vice Chancellor here at the University of Portsmouth.
I wanted to take a couple of minutes to share with you a short message about mental health, which is a priority issue for me and the university.
First of all, living away from where you grew up means you might not have the same familiar support structures that you have at home.
You might experience workload pressures as part of your course.
You might have concerns about the cost of living,
or else, you might find that the decreased level of support when moving from halls of residence to private housing just a little bit tricky.
If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, please reach out for support.
We have many services to help you, including the student wellbeing service, our student life team, our chaplaincy and much, much more.
We are here for you and want to provide help whenever you feel you need it.
Unfortunately, what is not such good news is that too many of us are still not reaching out for that support,
especially men, or those who identify as men.
As, this month is Movember, the annual campaign focused on men's health, I would like to speak briefly about men's mental health.
Compared to female students, only small proportions of male students seek professional help for their mental health when they need it.
We want to ensure that all students access support when they need it.
It really is okay not to be okay as we all need support at different times in our lives and that is why we have that support available for you.
This year, alongside our regular support services,
we will have a special focus on creating safe spaces for male students and students who identify as male.
We will be launching peer support programs aimed at creating a sense of community and reducing stigma surrounding mental health issues.
Spaces where male students can meet regularly to discuss their mental health.
Workshops focused on mental health topics such as body image and masculinity.
And training programmes to help us all recognise the signs of when someone might be struggling.
Everyone benefits when we are aware of our mental health and become more comfortable openly talking about it.
As a member of the University of Portsmouth community, we care about you and your mental health.
Let's make 2024 the most positive year yet for all our mental health.