LSE has committed a further £1 million towards Mental Health provisions by hiring four new full time members of staff – two new counsellors and two mental health advisors. Freedom of Mind LSE and LSESU Community and Wellbeing Officer David Gordon, have both successfully lobbied the university to increase funding.
This coincides with the time of year when demand for mental health services is highest, suggesting January exams and assessment pressures have increased mental health needs in students. Data reviewed by The Beaver shows a 44% increase in drop-ins and 65% increase in the overall number of students seeking assistance.
An LSE spokesperson addressed the spike in demand in a statement to The Beaver: “Demand for counselling is always greatest during Lent term, coinciding with the peak period for assessment and the run up to summer exams.”
Additionally, the university has acknowledged that “There is an increase in first aid interventions around exam period”, adding that these are “primarily for anxiety-related issues.”
Although hiring is still ongoing, this new investment would mean a large increase in the number of full time employees dedicated to mental wellbeing at the university. The Beaver’s research suggests that the number of Full Time Equivalent counselors and mental health advisors has been slightly increasing by 1% each year since 2014/15. After hiring, LSE will have 6.7 FTE counselors and 5.4 FTE Mental Health Advisors. In 2018/19, the numbers were 4.7 and 5.4 respectively.
An LSE spokesperson said to The Beaver: “Supporting student and staff mental health and wellbeing is a key priority for the School and a significant part of LSE’s work going forward,” adding that “The hiring of two new counsellors and two new mental health advisors is a big part of this commitment.”
LSESU Community and Welfare Officer David Gordon led the effort on the Union side on these changes. He told The Beaver: “We are delighted that LSE has taken a much needed step to reduce waiting times in the counselling service and to increase the number of mental health advisors on campus. This has come after intense lobbying from SU officers and staff to hold LSE to account in its treatment of student mental health. We also recognise the work from a number of LSE staff members to increase the funding and resourcing of the counselling service, and thank them for their dedication to student mental health and wellbeing.
Establishing that efforts should not stop there, he added: “That said, we recognise that this marks a first step toward an excellent mental health and wellbeing culture at LSE, and look forward to working with students and the LSE to improve the student experience further.”
The University has also partnered with the charity Mind to pilot the Mentally Healthy Universities programme. The programme runs sessions tailored to undergraduate students, aiming to equip students with tools to manage their mental health through university. Students can book spaces in these sessions online.
