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MIND THE GAP
Students say self harm therapy service was the first time they had been truly listened to.
When Danielle Young joined the University of Liverpool in 2017 she was struck by the lack of mental health provision for students. Her concerns were starkly emphasised when a fellow student in her halls took her own life.
Since the introduction of the student support programme U-COPE self harm therapy programme, Dani says she has noticed an enormous improvement. Her research project for her Masters in Clinical and Health Psychology was a qualitative review of U-COPE, a self harm therapy service for students at University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University.
U-COPE offers patients who have self harmed six sessions, including a three week gap to enable them to put into practice the techniques they have learned.
“Some of the students I interviewed described it as the best service they had accessed, the first time they felt truly listened to”, says Dani.
(Rethink Mental Illness, 2019)
Former student and researcher Danielle Young has noticed improvements since the new student mental health support system was introduced.
“They liked the rapid access to the service, and the flexibility to see their therapist both face to face and virtually. Students can continue their therapy when they are off campus, or at times when they might not want to leave home. They can also access a ‘top up’ session after the initial six, should they need it.”
“Self harm is a good indicator of a potential suicide attempt,” says Dani. “U-COPE supports people who were falling through a gap in the service. It’s a novel approach and it’s clearly a popular one.”
STUDENT RESOURCES:
The Samaritans www.samaritans.org Tel: 116 123 (24/7)
MIND mind.org.uk Info line: 0300 123 3393
YoungMinds youngminds.org.uk Text: YM to 85258 (24/7)
Shout giveusashout.org Text: 85258 (24/7)
Kooth kooth.com
