Their investment in student well-being services has increased significantly since the Covid -19 pandemic, with the finance going into annual salaries, well-being services and counselling. The incentive to fund these services was a result of an increase in student social isolation, financial challenges and reduced stigma and willingness to reach out for help. Professor Siobhan O´Neill stated that she hopes this investment will help students “fully benefit from higher education, and reduce the risk of dropout”.

Universities across Northern Ireland has seen a drastic increase, with St Mary´s University College seeing the biggest rise of 85.5%, Stranmillis University with 62%, and Queens University Belfast with 52% increase, all since 2020.

The funding has allowed for services such as daily drop-in services, online help, and one-to-one counselling. Students have reported that this initiative has significantly helped them, either in encouraging them to reach out for help when needed or simply making it more accessible for students to have regular check-ins and meetings with counsellors. Furthermore, students feel more encouraged to speak more openly about mental health and understand how to deal with their struggles. Consequently, students can better cope with daily stresses and social interactions and follow a sustainable plan to stay on the right path to improving their mental health.