New figures have revealed a surge in UK students seeking out counselling – with 43,000 requesting professional help from their universities in 2014. According to stats obtained by the Press Association, Russell Group institutions saw a 28 per cent increase in reported mental health issues over a three year period, rising by 9,000 since 2011.

Some campaigners have linked the leap to the Tory’s decision to treble tuition fees – stating that the controversial move has been a “major contributor”. It probably isn’t helped by the recent abolition of student grants, the soaring rents, and the ever-present threat of a criminal record, either. 

“Today's students face an unprecedented financial burden with student loan and tuition fee debt higher than ever before,” said Stephen Buckley from the mental health charity, MIND. “On the other side of this is the financial stress and uncertainty around employment on graduation. Both of these are major contributors to mental health problems like anxiety and depression.” He went on to stress that it was “unlikely” that the rise was due to society’s growing acceptability toward mental health.

The University of Edinburgh apparently saw an even higher gap between the figures: with 75 per cent more students seeking out counselling between 2011 and 2014. Similarly, Cardiff saw a 72 per cent jump. In fact, of the 24 institutions that were questioned, the only one to report a drop was Southampton.

Shelly Asquith, the vice president for Welfare at NUS, has urged universities to take these figures seriously. “The evidence is clear, the marketisation of education is having a huge impact on students' mental health,” she shared in a statement. “The value of education has moved away from societal value to 'value for money' and the emphasis on students competing against each other is causing isolation, stress and anxiety. It has also forced institutions to compete aggressively against each other and put more money into advertising initiatives than student support services.” 

Considering that the university intake has only risen by about 3 per cent in the last four years, she’s not wrong. These figures show a staggering shift – and one that could be an indicator of something much more serious. “We are urging the sector to take these statistics seriously,” concluded Asquith. “(They need to) consider an urgent review of the level of funding given to mental health services, particularly counselling.”