“I get lots of calls from other students who are providing support and finding it very difficult to manage. It definitely is impacting upon their work and wellbeing…it would be really helpful for this group to know how to manage this and how to respond appropriately in these situations”
(Professional commenting on what is needed for student supporters)
CHERISH began following our previous work which aimed to provide an understanding of self-harm by university students. The project, entitled HUSSH (Helping Understand Student Self Harm) involved interviews with university students who had personal experiences of self-harm during their time in higher education.
On average, 1 in 4 students experience mental health difficulties during University1.
Effective & tailored support reduces future risk of injury and loss of life, as well as promoting wellbeing and improving mental health amongst this group.
Findings from the HUSSH project highlighted that many students also had experience of providing support to others engaging in self-harm. Students also shared their experiences of trying to access support during their time at University.
The CHERISH project was developed as a result of what students told us, in order to further explore the experiences of people providing support to students who self-harm. The project involved:
- Listening to the stories of people who have provided support including friends, family members, carers & professionals, as well as those with experience of providing support whilst also having their own personal experience of self-harm.
- Exploring student emotions and experiences of providing support, through an online survey. More than 85% (n=152) of respondents had provided support for a friend during University for poor well-being and/or high levels of stress.
Speaking with these different groups has allowed us to understand the challenges faced and highlighted key areas of development to ensure that all supporters, regardless of background, are felt supported themselves. These findings have been used to highlight gaps in the current resources available, leading to the development of this website.
Different groups of supporters shared their experiences and highlighted areas in which they felt further information would be helpful. We have put this website together alongside supporters to hopefully overcome the feelings of loneliness and isolation that many of our participants described.
References
1 Smith, M (2016). One in four students suffer from mental health problems. Retrieved from https://yougov.co.uk/topics/lifestyle/articles-reports/2016/08/09/quarter-britains-students-are-afflicted-mental-hea