Wellbeing and mental health information for prospective students 

At Durham we encourage students to take positive steps to maintain their own wellbeing. Starting university will be a new experience for many of you; it could be the first time you have lived away from home or moved to another country. This new experience may feel exciting, frightening or overwhelming, or you may not know how you feel. These are all normal responses and many students feel this way. 

While preparing to come to university it's important to consider how you can maintain your mental health and wellbeing after arrival. Below are some resources which may help.

Students with ongoing Mental Health conditions

At Durham University we believe mental health difficulties should not be a barrier to enjoying your time at university and reaching your academic potential. We understand starting university can be daunting, but our support services help many students with mental health difficulties to achieve success throughout their academic careers. 

Things to consider before coming to Durham

Registering with a doctor/medical Practice

We ask students to begin their registration with a Durham doctor before arrival, as soon as they have a Durham address, as the doctor not only prescribes medication but is also the gateway into local NHS mental health services.

You can find out how to register with a local doctor here: Medical Registration and Advice - Durham University

If you cannot not register in advance, then opportunities for registration are available on campus and at local medical practices after arrival.

Transferring existing treatment to Durham

If you are currently under UK CAMHS or adult mental health services and need a transfer into Durham NHS adult mental health services, we would advise you to discuss your ongoing treatment and support needs with your existing care team. They can contact the Durham City Access Service on 01388 645 399 to discuss possible transfer; if for any reason this is not agreed, you need to see your Durham doctor to discuss this as soon as you have registered here. It is often helpful to bring any letters or summaries about your mental health history with you, so that your new doctor can take these into consideration when continuing your treatment.

As registering with a doctor/medical practice may take time, we suggest you speak to your current doctor about bringing a supply of medication with you to Durham, so that you do not run out before you are able to meet with a local doctor. 

International Students

Please be aware it is not always possible for UK doctors to prescribe the same medication you may currently be taking. It is strongly recommended that you speak to your current doctor at home to make a plan, well in advance of your move to Durham. It may not always be possible to arrange a doctor's appointment immediately upon arrival, so you should bring enough medication to last until you can see a doctor in Durham. You can find out more about bringing medication into the UK here: Bringing Medicine in to the UK and further information here on ADHD medication. 

Specialist support: restrictive eating disorders

Durham University follows national guidelines on thresholds for safe study where a student has an eating disorder; please see our Guidance on Restrictive Eating Disorders outlining our position. We encourage any student with a BMI below 17 to discuss the safety of starting university with their care provider, as national guidelines recommend taking a break from study until a healthy BMI has been sustained for a longer period. We appreciate it can be very disruptive and distressing for students to start at Durham and rapidly be required to pause their studies; therefore, please do contact the Mental Health Advice Team at mh-advisor@durham.ac.uk if you have any concerns or questions about the guidance.

If you need a specialist eating disorder assessment or support after moving to Durham, your doctor or current ED Team can discuss this with our local NHS Eating Disorder Service: Stockton Adult ED Service.

Please view our full guide on  Mental Health Support at Durham University (office.com)

College Student Support

• All students have membership of a College and have access to its support team no matter what you study, how you study, or where you live.
• Each College has a dedicated student support team to support you throughout your time at Durham University.  This team is available during office hours.
• The team can advise you on issues affecting your wellbeing and help you to access other support services across the University.
• Each College has Student Welfare Volunteers (Welfare Officers in Common Rooms) who can provide you with information about support services at Durham and how to access them.  They run wellbeing events to help you proactively manage your health and wellbeing.
• Out of office hours, you can contact your College RSA (Porter) who will be able to route urgent concerns to the appropriate on-call duty officer - this will be a member of College staff from your own or another College.  This service is available to all students, whether they live in or out of College.  Our University Security Hub team supports students needing emergency support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 
• Once you've completed your enrolment, you'll be able to access the University's Student Support Hub for more information on all of the support available to you and how to access it.

Department Student Support

• Staff in Departments can help with academic related concerns which may have an impact on your studies.  These teams are available during office hours.
• Each Department has a dedicated Student Support Officer or Manager who provides support to help students engage effectively and/or progress satisfactorily in their studies.  They can help students access other support services across the University.
• If you're a taught student, you will be allocated an Academic Advisor, Year Tutor, or equivalent in your academic Departments.  They will provide academic support and guidance relating to discipline-specific skills, module choices and feedback on academic performance and progression.
• Your module teaching teams will provide module-specific advice and feedback on module content and assessed work.
• If you're a research student, you can speak to your supervisor about academic support.
• Each Department has a Learning and Teaching Team and a Postgraduate Research (PGR) Co-ordinator who support the administration of all taught and research programmes respectively.  They can help you with queries relating to your course organisation and administration, including timetabling, deadline extensions, and absences.
• Once you've completed your enrolment, you'll be able to access the University's Student Support Hub for more information on all of the support available to you and how to access it.