Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor; sections of a report by the Union of Students in Ireland
This morning.
The Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor attended the launch of the Union of Students in Ireland’s Student Mental Health report.
The report, which involved the input of 3,340 students, has found that:
Some 38.4% of students suffer extreme severe anxiety, 29.9% depression and 17.2% stress.
It also found:
A total of 41.8% of those who participated in the study were receiving social welfare support of some kind. Many were dependent on financial assistance from parents (63%), partner (3.8%), as well as bank (4.7%) and Credit Union loans (6.0%).
A total of 77.8% of students were dependant on financial assistance from at least one of the named sources above.
…There were some differences in students mental health depending on their living arrangements.
Those who had a home they owned were much more likely to be within normal ranges and less likely to be extremely severe on all three scales.
As expected those without stable accommodation were most vulnerable when it came to anxiety (50.0%) and depression (77.8%) while those falling into the other category were more likely to be extremely severely stressed (35.7%) this included those living in a variety of settings including with friends, family owned accommodation and a mobile home.
Meanwhile…
The Minister admits feeling sad at reading that only 1% of students reported not feeling lonely and promises to work on improving services at Third Level with her Ministerial Colleagues, with the help of USI 👉https://t.co/fftC0qxGrk #USIMentalHealth pic.twitter.com/bPjlF0B3Ev
— Union Of Students In Ireland (@TheUSI) August 27, 2019
The report can be read in full here
“most students who took the survey were female”
Can I stop you there. If a survey is to be representative, you should, from the outset select a sample which is representative of the group. If you’re only recording those who bothered to respond to the survey, then you’re no more reliable than selective internet polling.
Everything that follows including the presence of Mary Mitchell O’Connor is highly dubious.
I really wondered about this. 20% of students are LGBTQI? Does this mean students are experimenting or are students just alternatively sexual massively disproportional to society at large?
I was pretty ecstatic at college. Surprised and puzzled to hear so many appear unhappy there.
I wonder is it like those dodgy ISME surveys that claimed various strong statements but were scientifically nonsensical?!
Is it just me?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/w0dt5d25K3crTFlKgpgP6x/interview-with-catherine-tate
The solution to students feeling lonely is the same one as the solution to the housing crisis.
3 people per bed.
I dunno. One of my best student memories involved 3 people in a bed.
I came home from the bar I was working in to find my flat mate had put half the people I’d fecked out into my bed as a nice hey you’re the only sober one here surprise !
I know I shouldn’t have
yep. Proper Lunch time one as well, the inside of my elbow even has bits of crust
Good job I’m in a puffy sleeved patterned top today
Interesting read. It seems that ‘straight’ isn’t a sexual orientation. (tables 38 & 39)
They have Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, Pansexual…. but nothing for the straights.
thanks for summary
makes sense. nothing is ever done in ireland on the straight and narrow.
Lies, damn lies and stats. “77.8% of students were dependant on financial assistance” – who are the other 20% of students not dependant on financial assistance – lucky them By right as a student you are not earning and thus need financial assistance. I also agree re the overwhelming female and LGBT bias of the survey i.e. not a proper survey.