In connection with the municipal elections, we will publish a series of blogs in which the political student organizations of the parliamentary parties will take a stand on mental health policy. At Nyyti, we want to increase the social debate on mental health and thus increase our turnout. You can find out about Nyyti’s municipal election goals here. You can also find a more detailed election schedule on the page.
Exhaustion, remote studying until late at night, and an ever–increasing sense of loneliness. Is this supposed to be the best time of our lives, studying? Students’ wellbeing is in crisis, and the situation cannot be fixed without serious measures.
Wellbeing is a basic requisite for the smoothness and progress of studies. Therefore, our society needs to invest in student’s wellbeing and mental health in terms of both structure and attitudes.
We can’t accept that seeking help is delayed or not done at all in fear of taboos around mental health. Mental health matters must be systematically put on an equal footing with physical health.
When the mind is shattered or the physical wellbeing malfunctions, it’s natural for a student to seek help from student health care. The expansion of the Finnish Student Health Service to also cover UAS students was an enormous equality reform; there’s no question about it. In order to serve its purpose, student health care must have sufficient resources for ensuring the availability of services for all students without an unreasonable wait.
In practice, this means the following: The number of study psychologists must be increased to a sufficient level in every university and college. All students must be offered an entry check-up together with a study psychologist. When the therapy guarantee is implemented, help will be available faster for mental health problems. Student health services must be available year–round because mental health challenges do not appear in the same cycle as the educational institutes’ holiday periods.
Mental health is much more than medicine. Expanding the hobby guarantee to also cover university students could be well worth considering. The idea behind university sports activities could be broadened to university hobby activities from the perspective of supporting students’ wellbeing. The concept of a hobby would have to be understood in a wide sense, catering to the students’ different interests.
Social relationships have become increasingly important as remote studies have become common. The sense of community is left low due to the lack of contact teaching, which has a negative effect on motivation and mental wellbeing. Universities must create structures that support the community spirit and are also accessible remotely. When creating communities that care, the biggest role and responsibility is ours. Let’s be friends for each other, even remotely.
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