Students already facing inequalities in higher education (HE) are likely being further disadvantaged due to mental health issues. Our recent report indicates that students from low income backgrounds: from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, mature students, LGBTQ+ students and care-experienced students are all at greater risk of suffering from poor mental health whilst in HE. These at-risk groups are already underrepresented and/or disadvantaged in HE: having poorer outcomes in terms of entry rates, likelihood of dropout, attainment, and/or progression to employment or postgraduate study. This suggests that mental health issues may exacerbate disparities in HE outcomes for these groups.
TASO has been set up to support the sector in closing equality gaps in HE, and subsequently a large focus of the report was on reviewing the evidence of what works to support specific at-risk groups with their mental health concerns. We also administered a survey and held focus groups with a wide range of sector stakeholders, and these, combined with interviews with HE students who have experienced poor mental health, contributed to an overall picture of current mental health support in HE.
