Queen Mary University of London want our students to have the best possible experience while they are studying with us.
As part of our commitment to the wellbeing of all of our students, whether they are living here on campus in East London or studying remotely and whatever programme or academic route they are following, we have made a significant investment in services aimed at supporting our students’ mental health.
We all have periods in our life when we’re facing difficult situations. For many young people their university years will be punctuated with times when they’re in need of advice and support to help them through difficult situations that they may be facing for the first time in their adult lives.
Sadly, many more students report mental health concerns than ever before - the Covid-19 pandemic has only exacerbated this trend.
Our support for students experiencing difficulties with their mental health is largely split between two teams: the Advice and Counselling Service, and the Disability and Dyslexia Service.
It can be confusing for students (and staff) to know which type of support is most appropriate in any given situation, so on this page we have explained which members of staff provide which support, and where to find them.
We have done this by listing job titles with an explanation of what they do; you can click on the links to find out how to see one of these people.
All of our support is available both in person, i.e. face to face, as well as online.
Which service are they in? Advice and Counselling
What do they do?
Mental Health Advisers provide practical support and interventions to help you manage your mental health condition. They support students in the following ways:
How can I contact them?
You will need to complete our Registration Form in MySiS. Please state on the form if you would like a Mental Health Advice appointment. Once we have your form, we’ll contact you with a suitable vacancy depending on your availability.
Our Student Wellbeing Advisers can offer mental health interventions such as advice on sleep hygiene, as well as help direct and guide students to colleagues elsewhere in student wellbeing services. You may also meet them in collaboration with initiatives from your School or Institute aimed at improving wellbeing.
The Student Wellbeing Advisers are offering 20 minute drop in appointments between 2-3pm everyday either online or in person for any students who would like to discuss anything to do with their wellbeing.
You can contact the Advice and Counselling Service by dropping into their office in the ground floor of the Geography Building at our Mile End campus (which is open between 10am and 4pm Monday to Friday), or by completing our Registration Form in MySiS.
Which service are they in? Disability and Dyslexia
Disability Advisers work with students with existing mental health diagnoses to recommend and implement reasonable adjustments so that they can access their teaching and learning, as per our duties under the Equality Act (2010). One example of such an adjustment would be exam arrangements, e.g. extra time. Disability Advisers also advocate for students to ensure that they can access external funding via the Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSA) scheme and the support that this provides.
You can email dds@qmul.ac.uk, use the web-form, or call 020 7882 2756.
Counselling is a confidential space to explore what’s going on for you, with an experienced counsellor, to help you gain clarity, and make connections. Your counsellor won’t give you advice or tell you what to do, but will listen carefully to facilitate a clearer understanding of your difficulties. Counselling is delivered on a one-to-one basis.
You will need to complete our Counselling Registration Form in MySiS. Once we have your form, we’ll contact you with a suitable vacancy depending on your availability.
The Sexual Assault and Harassment Adviser meets students who have experienced sexual assault and harassment and offers bespoke support; this may involve referring to colleagues at the University, e.g. counsellors, Student Support Officers, as well as external support services. They may also support students who make formal complaints to help negotiate the University’s formal policies and processes.
The most effective way to access the Sexual Assault and Harassment Adviser is to use the University’s Report and Support tool. This will allow students to explain what has happened, upload any relevant information, and request support from the Sexual Assault and Harassment Adviser. Students can also ask for an appointment with the Sexual Assault and Harassment Adviser by emailing welfare@qmul.ac.uk.
Queen Mary offers all of its students access to an online support service called ‘Togetherall’.
Many of our students write to us requesting support in the early hours of the morning or at weekends and we acknowledge that it may take a few days to receive a response and even longer to actually see someone. Togetherall provides immediate support whilst you’re waiting for an appointment to see someone in the Student Experience Directorate. If you access Togetherall there is no negative impact on your wait for support through our services; it’s just another option that you may want to explore.
Togetherall offers unlimited, 24/7 accessible online support – you can connect with peers, chat online to clinicians, use self-help resources, join groups or take self-assessments. Lots of students at lots of universities find it an incredibly helpful resource. It is also completely confidential and staff at the university cannot see what you are writing or sharing.
Sign up to Togetherall using your Queen Mary e-mail address.
Watch a video outlining mental health support available to students which aims to make staff more familiar with Queen Mary mental health support and be able to refer students with confidence.