As part of its remit to assist universities to promote Equality and Diversity, the Equality Challenge Unit is, at present, surveying the views of staff and students on how universities support colleagues and students experiencing mental health difficulties.
The Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) works to further and support equality and diversity for staff and students in higher education across all four nations of the UK, and in colleges in Scotland.
The data collected will be used in confidence to improve services to staff and students. The responses to the survey will help the sector by flagging up areas of concern and areas for improvement as well as areas of good practice.
National figures from the ECU statistical reports 2012 indicate that in UK higher education around 1 in 150 students (0.7 per cent) and around 1 in 500 staff (0.2 per cent) have disclosed a mental health condition to their university (these figures are based on university disability monitoring data provided to the Higher Education Statistical Agency).
Figures from the Department of Health indicate that one in four adults experience mental illness at some point during their lifetime and one in six experience symptoms at any one time.
Previous research from ECU discussed a number of factors which may account for people not disclosing a disability to their university.
These include: Individuals not recognising that they meet the legal definition of disability, fear that individuals will receiver unfair treatment from their university, peers or colleagues if they disclose, lack of awareness of what reasonable adjustments can be made to overcome any substantial disadvantage they may face and lack of opportunities to disclose.