MORE than €400,000 in funding for mental health supports for students at the Atlantic Technologic University (ATU) has been announced by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris today.
The ATU is set to receive a €431,667 share of a €5 million allocation to assist students in higher education nationally.
Minister Harris said the funding is an important investment in the wellbeing and support of students across the country.
“We know this generation are facing mental health challenges like no other. The pressure our young people are facing requires important interventions at the right stage of their lives.
“That is why we have provided €20.9 million to Higher Education Institutions since 2020. Crucially, this has allowed universities recruit additional Student Counsellors, additional Assistant Psychologists. 77 were hired last year alone.
“The funding this year will embed these services in our college campuses.”
Universities have the flexibility to use the funding to address the needs of their student population.
They can engage a range of other important staff in this domain, such as clinical case managers, heads of service, mental health officers, framework implementation managers, admin staff, mental health nurses or GPs, etc.
Local Councillor Jimmy Kavanagh said: “The funding is a very welcome investment in the wellbeing of our college going students across the country
“The current generation of students face challenges that are more complex than those faced by previous generations, the prevalence of drugs in society and the challenges posed by social media pressures and financial challenges can make life very difficult for many students especially as most will be living away from home for the first time and the pressures can be overwhelming.
“I welcome the new data building service, to establish a network of researchers to examine the area of suicide and self-harm, we have lost far too many young people in recent years to suicide.
The funding can also help provide a range of relevant professional services around mental health for example mental health nurses, the colleges have also flexibility to tailor funding to specific issues that they identify as needing addressed.”
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