ABS sponsor mental health survey

ABS launched a partnership with Anxiety UK in May 2017 to offer practical support for people experiencing anxiety, stress and anxiety based depression.

In May 2017 and in March 2018 a student survey was sent to accredited schools in the United Kingdom on behalf of the RIBA. Just over 1200 students completed the survey in 2017 and over 900 in 2018 pointing to the scale of the issue and the interest that students have in their mental wellbeing. The survey was based on a similar National Union of Student survey questionnaire conducted in 2013 and undertaken again in 2018.

The results of the survey have formed the basis of a student dissertation project by Melissa Kirkpatrick, run in collaboration with the University of Sheffield master’s course. Melissa is a Master’s student whose dissertation project aims to analyse the survey’s results and report on them in October 2018. Expected outcomes of the dissertation research project will be to define the scale of the issue, contextualise the issue in relation to wider academia and establish further avenues for research.

The dissertation project is financially supported by the Architects Benevolent Society. The ABS has championed Mental Health understanding within the profession.

Source: RIBA and ABS