Rachel King rachel.king@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk 0131 465 5503

1. 8S: Promoting Mental Health and Well Being with Colleges and Universities in Lothian - a public health approach with transient populations Rachel King rachel.king@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk 0131 465 5503 NHS Lothian Mental Health and Well Being Team

2. Protective and Risk Factors of the Setting • Protective: time to reflect; learning good for body, brain, social health; making new friends; broadening life expectations and possibilities • Risks: being in transition; managing money and debt; being in isolation; peer pressures; exam/ academic stress Mental well being important regardless of mental health issues

3. 8S Programme • Working in 8 Settings - 4 Colleges, 4 Universities (originally 12, settings themselves are transient) • Students plus staff = 80,000 people in Lothian = 9% Lothian’s population, and rising • Differences in population in each setting • Over 70 countries are represented • Ages 14 to 90+ • Mental health and access to services highlighted by each setting

4. Programme Overview- a public health approach Three key areas • Mental health promotion - for students and staff, population approach • Mental health inequalities - looking at specific needs within key population groups • Partnership development - cross sector communication, understanding and working

5. Approach for All Areas • Focusing on key issues for the settings- transitory populations, inequalities within the communities, specific challenges accessing support • Building networks • Strengthening partnerships and joint working • Building capacity • Sharing practice • Being a resource across the settings

6. Issues around transition and health - individuals and communities • Sense of belonging in the wider community • Building social networks • Having common understanding of what mental health is (and isn’t) • Having similar expectations of what a health service might support • Understanding health service set up /navigating this • Crises can be challenging to manage

7. Issues around transition and health- services and planning • Understanding support structures for populations in transition • Influxes of transitory populations- ebb and flow of annual populations • Case management over shifting annual or seasonal timetable • Ensuring messages are disseminated in ever changing populations • Reaching vulnerable or hidden populations within transitory groups • Crises can be challenging to manage

8. Supporting mental health of populations in transition - examples from 8S • Taking a settings approach- public health model – creating a sense of belonging • Using people’s experience and understanding • Focusing on inequalities- realisation of need key • Through all developments- • Building capacity in-house • Building partnerships and relationships- within settings and beyond them • Linking with third sector agencies, using local health care agencies

9. Supporting mental health of populations in transition - examples from 8S • Influxes of transitory populations-forming partnerships to understand ebb and flow • Case management- information sharing agreements, specific service developments eg eating disorders, focus on crises • Ensuring messages are disseminated in ever changing populations- working closely with third sector and using local resources • Reaching vulnerable or hidden populations within transitory groups • Understanding support structures for populations in transition – raising awareness within NHS re student context and supports

10. Applying the learning • Two main elements: • Well-being focus as well as prevention- • Is challenging for organisations to look at • Shapes the way discourse and development happens • Transitory nature of populations, versus fixed nature of services- • Is challenging for services to respond to • Can result in positive changes and partnerships

11. Applying the learning 2 • Working with other transitory communities- • Homeless populations • Migrant or seasonal workers • Gypsy-traveller communities • Frequent attenders at A&E • Prison populations

12. Concluding Thoughts • University and College settings outside other streams of focus- 8S programme weaves them in - public mental health in action • Non-clinical, non-individual well being focus is beneficial • Looking at service provision and joint work between sectors necessary to change structure and focus • Important to recognise transitory nature of populations • Significant inequalities within populations –necessary focus