UP’s Student Counselling Unit aims to bring attention to the importance of mental health in an informal and accessible way. With mental health in the spotlight this October, we learn more about this vital unit’s services.

The Student Counselling Unit (SCU) at the University of Pretoria (UP) is a professional support unit in the Department of Student Affairs. Its strategy and approach in helping students manage their mental health has changed dramatically over the past 10 years. The SCU is a small but agile unit that wishes to serve the student population with the right intervention at the right time.

The SCU used to be based in the Old College building, next to the Aula lawn. Students were referred and consulted mostly on issues related to study success, career guidance and adjustment issues. Occasionally, students who needed more intensive psychotherapy or counselling after a traumatic experience would make their way to the unit. The numbers reporting to the unit were relatively low and students were seen on a first-come, first-served basis.

As UP grew into a large, diverse, inclusive establishment, reflecting all the stressors and demands of a modern society, the need to have comprehensive student support structures became more apparent. Demand for more psycho-social support grew, and in 2014, the SCU moved to its current premises in the Student Centre. Academic advising was taken over by the Department of Education Innovation in the form of faculty student advisors. This freed up the SCU to focus on mental health and wellness, and in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new agile and robust unit was established, offering an array of both in-person and online services.

SCU statistics indicate that more than 8 000 individual consultations are offered a year. However, some of the most important work the SCU does is to prevent students from having to schedule long-term intervention in the first place. The entire student population is targeted with measures to manage stress, practices on how to prevent fragile mental health, and interventions to build resilience and wellness. Well-adjusted students can respond to academic demands, manage disappointments and establish positive relationships with peers and authority figures alike.

The SCU has diversified its mental health offerings to include not only therapy, but to enhance the mental health literacy and wellness of all UP students. It wants to add value to the student community and deliver resilient graduates who can be team leaders in society.

The unit has tiered its strategies around mental health so that students can choose a service that fits their need. Some enjoy accessing mental health materials on their own time, such as listening to a podcast, chatting online to a chatbot or accessing reading material. The unit wants to bring mental health into the mainstream of student life in an informal and accessible way. As such, it developed a podcast series together with TuksFM called BounceUP, did a recent pilot with an AI company on the possibility of a chatbot and placed mental health content on its website.

The SCU is partnered with the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) so that students have access to a telephonic counsellor at any time. Students can call 0800 747 747 and always be assured of support. SADAG’s website also has excellent mental health content and information.

The unit has also partnered with student societies, faculty houses, departments and residences to deliver webinars and workshops on topics that are central to student life. In the past year, the SCU has conducted workshops on stress management, relationship issues, adjusting to university, diversity, consent, managing priorities, and many more. The unit has a drop-in service, whereby students can have a quick mental health consultation with a registered counsellor if they do not need to contract for individual psychotherapy with a psychologist. However, the SCU still offers psychotherapy for those who need that level of support and can facilitate referral to specialist care. It also offers career assessments and assists the Disability Unit with evaluations for exam and test concessions.

The SCU is constantly strategising on how to be available to best meet the mental health needs of students. It is the unit’s wish that students have the best years of their lives at university – a goal that can only be achieved if individuals feel capable and well enough to meet the challenges that come with the fun.

Contact the SCU at [email protected]. Visit its website at https://www.up.ac.za/student-counselling or SADAG’s website at www.sadag.org