Ms Sarah Hughes:

The college experience for many students is a melting pot for mental health issues. It is a pivotal time of life. There are a number of risk factors for every student. When financial pressures are added to students having to get perhaps multiple jobs or accommodation issues leading to students having to commute ridiculous amounts of time or register as homeless, which some students are, that places an untold amount of additional pressure on their mental health and on mental health services that are overstretched. We also see that students are reluctant to seek that help because they know the waiting lists are so bad. They say to themselves, "I was able to stand up out of my bed this morning so there is somebody worse off that needs that slot so I will not seek the help myself."