University Mental Health Day 2017 Summary

MARCH 2ND 2017 Active Mental Health

University Mental Health Day 2017...

This year we celebrated our most successful year yet!

The day was an opportunity to get more students involved in volunteering projects and events, helping to build up a larger base of students and staff to support future health promotion and campaigns. University Mental Health Day was started by UMHAN in 2012 and is jointly coordinated by Student Minds. ​ This year the Active Mental Health theme aimed to open up conversations about the relationship between mental and physical wellbeing. The campaign also acknowledged and addressed the barriers to participation that people face at university, especially for those experiencing mental health difficulties.

What did UMHD achieve this year?

University Mental Health Day was widely adopted by universities nationally and affected a large number of staff and students, around the UK. This year, an estimated 7800 people took part in campaign events, with 81 universities running events on the day. Online the hashtag stormed the UK trending list during the afternoon, hugely increasing public exposure of the campaign. Student Minds and BUCS also released University Sport and Mental Health, a new guide to help university sports staff and clubs to support students’ mental health.

universities ran University Mental Health Day events!

unique accounts used the hashtag and it was on the UK Twitter trend list for the afternoon!

41 universities reported that nearly 6,800 students took who part in University Mental Health Day events, as well as nearly 1000 staff members!

twitter users reached with #UniMentalHealthDay!!

Some more highlights...

100 campaign packs with University Mental Health Day resources were sent out to students and staff at universities around the UK, and there were over 500 downloads of digital campaign materials.

A dialogue was opened about mental health among staff, and I feel it would now be easier and more likely to hold other events or initiatives about mental health at the Careers Service in the future.

- University of Oxford

University of Leicester Students’ Union ran 20 events for the week, aiming to embed the importance of wellbeing into University. An estimated 800 students attended campaign events, and over 10,000 people were reached through social media promotion of the week.

It was a great opportunity to get the different sport clubs discussing mental health, particularly male groups that don’t typically get involved in our campaigns on campus.

- York St John University

Thank you to everyone who ran or took part in a University Mental Health Day event.

To find out more about University Mental Health Day, visit www.studentminds.org.uk/unimentalhealthday2017, or tell us what you think about the campaign by emailing info@studentminds.org.uk.

Together we can transform the state of student mental health!

Next year’s date: 1st March 2018

MARCH 2ND 2017 Active Mental Health