The university has spent £26 less per student on its main mental health service since 2011, whilst increasing tuition fees for most courses to £9,000 a year since over the same period.
Funding for Open Door failed to keep pace with the 46% increase in demand, only rising by 24%.
Student Support, the umbrella organisation responsible for Open Door and a variety of other student welfare services, has seen its own funding increase by only 12%, from £1,336,455 (adjusting for inflation) to £1,508,280 since 2011.
Demand for student counseling services as a whole, including both Open Door and other services saw an increase of 132%.
The sobering investigation, conducted by the Socialist Society, concludes the trend is likely to continue without a dramatic increase in funding pointing to a dramatic nationwide increase in cases of mental health problems.
Peter Quinn, Director of the University’s Student Support Services, said: “The Socialist Society report has many valid points but it is not the case that students are limited in the number of sessions they have with the Open Door Team, the average number students need is less than 3.”
He added, “the Open Door Team service has evolved to include a much larger group and workshop offerings, hosted by Colleges.
David Duncan, University Registrar and Secretary said: “We have recently authorised two additional appointments in the Open Door Team to cope with rising demand and reduce waiting times.”
Duncan also said that a wider review of University mental health services will be conducted by Professor Hilary Graham of the Department of Life Sciences.
The investigation also highlighted problems with mental health services outside the University, highlighting the closure of Bootham, the specialist mental health unit.
A number of mental health awareness campaigns and events have taken place on campus this academic year, most notably the York Student Mental Health Campaign and the Mind Your Head campaign.
Quinn also pointed out an increase in Mindfulness and Yoga workshops available on campus.
A simple solution: comment by Jack Chadwick, LGBTQ Officer, and Katie Smith, Socialist Society Committee Member
A 46% increase in York students struggling with their mental health raises serious questions about more than just the readiness of campus services to cope with the new demand.
We also need to investigate the causes of this trend and do what we can to stop it.
At the moment, the strategy of both the university and YUSU is all about firefighting: responding to a worsening crisis with bits here and there.
Hiring a new counsellor, improving signposting and, in the case of YUSU, talking, but not doing.
York isn’t alone with this problem.
According to the Higher Ed Funding Council, there’s been a 132% rise in the number of students with mental health problems from 2012 onwards.
While rising openness about mental health is a factor, it’s no coincidence that the near tripling of problems has occurred since the introduction of fees and further marketisation.
What can be done? In the short term, a halt to the falling staff-to-student ratio, greater support for students on leaves of absence – counselling and fee waivers – and an opening up of Open Door.