Dr. Joseph Morning:

If we want to evaluate these programmes once they go in, again, evaluation is something that takes money, takes time and needs investment. Can there be university-based research that can track people? If we start off with pilots and contract people to follow cohorts, it is very important to measure the mental health of those cohorts before and after. It is difficult to measure reductions in referrals to mental health services, which is one of the things we would hope to get from preventative approaches, if the numbers are increasing anyway in the face of increased pressures on mental health.

It is about constant tracking. We want to capture the more qualitative data and person-centred picture of the impact these programmes are having. One of the main aims should be changing the campus culture. We know that an important protective factor is help seeking. There are barriers to help seeking in third level education. A lot of students do not feel comfortable in reaching out and postpone doing so. Capturing the changes in attitudes is difficult, but it is one of the things we would want to change.