NUS Scotland mental health project, Think Positive, releases impact report highlighting key highlights and learnings from academic year 2023-2024.

NUS Scotland mental health project, Think Positive, releases impact report highlighting key highlights and learnings from academic year 2023-2024.

Scottish Government funded project promotes mental health support on offer at 100% of colleges & universities


Today Think Positive released its impact report for 2023 – 2024, finding that the project promoted up to date mental health support on offer at 100% of Scotland's colleges & universities and has potentially benefitted 438,792+ students this academic year. Funded by the Scottish Government, Think Positive is a student mental health project at NUS Charity & NUS Scotland that aims to ensure that student mental health needs are better supported and promoted in further and higher education.

Projects within Think Positive include the Student Mental Health Agreement (SMHA), which sets a clear framework to help colleges, universities and students’ associations promote and develop their mental health support offer in collaboration with students; the Think Positive Hub which brings together all the latest projects, services, resources, training and news relating to student mental health in Scotland in one place so students and those who support them can easily access it; and The Forum, a space for representatives from institutions across Scotland meet to discuss the challenges and opportunities they are facing around topics relating to student mental health.

Highlights from the impact report show that Think Positive directly supported and collaborated with 86% of Scotland’s colleges, universities & students associations on their mental health work, and 71% of those institutions gave feedback that their mental health work had developed as a result of taking part in the SMHA project.

In their recent Roadmap to a New Education System Report NUS Scotland called on the Scottish Government to commit to long term funding of the Think Positive project. The report noted that despite government recognition of the project’s value and ongoing commitment to work with Think Positive it is currently funded on is an annual basis, which limits long-term planning and therefore the impact that the project is able to have.

Commenting former NUS Scotland President Ellie Gomersall (2022 – 2024), who was in the role during the period covered by the report said:

“The value of the Think Positive project cannot be overstated. Because of Think Positive’s work colleges, universities and students’ association across Scotland are offering better joined up, quality mental health support services which have been tailored to suit the specific needs of students today. I've seen for myself that services like The Forum, Think Positive Hub, and the Student Mental Health Agreement project are absolutely vital to students’ associations as they work to ensure that the students they represent receive the support they need to not just survive but thrive.”

Current NUS Scotland President Sai Shraddha Suresh Viswanathan, who recently succeeded Ellie in the role, is keen to see NUS Scotland continue its invaluable work with Think Positive in the years ahead.

Our Partners

Enable Recite Me accessibility tools