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National
London, 20th January 2015: Third Year Abroad is hosting a Mental Health Q&A Day on their new platform TYAAnswers.com.
The Q&A Day will allow year abroad students to ask and answer questions on a range of mental health issues, including preparing for a year abroad with a pre-diagnosed mental illness, how to cope without your usual support network, how to tell the difference between homesickness and anxiety, how best to support a friend with a mental illness and advice for LGBT students moving abroad.
Lizzie Fane, Founder of Third Year Abroad, says that the inspiration for the Mental Health Q&A Day came from an article published on the Guardian Education website titled ‘Year-abroad students say that universities don’t offer enough support’.
“The response to the article from our network was overwhelming. It is clear that Mental Health is a topic about which year-abroad students are extremely passionate. Through our work with students and universities around the UK and beyond, we’ve gained a unique insight into the way the system works. University Study Abroad departments usually consist of a very small team of staff who lack the numbers, resources and training to give each student the individual attention they sometimes require. On the other hand, for a student struggling with a mental health problem, reaching out and asking for help is a difficult and crucial step. If their cry for help is ignored, downplayed or dismissed, it can do untold damage. With the Mental Health Q&A Day, we aim to
resolve this impasse by providing a platform for year-abroad students to break their silence and share advice.”
Representatives from mental health charities, such as Student Minds, will be on hand to answer students’ questions throughout the day and to direct them towards appropriate professional help if necessary.
Florence Robson, Editor of ThirdYearAbroad.com, says, “A year abroad is a wonderful adventure but can feel incredibly lonely when you’re suffering from a mental illness. The aim of the Mental Health Q&A Day is to counteract that feeling of isolation by creating a positive atmosphere of peer-to-peer solidarity where students can share their experiences and coping strategies. This hub of advice will remain on TYA Answers to help future year-abroad students.”
The Mental Health Q&A Day will be taking place all day on 20th January. Get involved by asking your questions now at TYAAnswers.com and follow the day using the hashtag #tyamentalhealth.
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Services for further support:
- Student Minds - http://www.studentminds.org.uk/further-support.html
- Students Against Depression - http://studentsagainstdepression.org/get-support/check-suicideand-self-harm/feeling-like-you-want-to-die/
- Papyrus Helpline, HOPELine UK: 0800 068 41 41/ pat@papyrus-uk.org
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ThirdYearAbroad.com is the UK’s biggest network of students who study, work or volunteer abroad during their degree. Students can read ‘Mole Diaries’ - insider guides to cities written by students who have been through the process already. The site aims to raise awareness of international opportunities during a degree course, and to promote the study of Modern Languages in the UK.
TYA Answers (tyaanswers.com) is Third Year Abroad’s Q&A platform where students can ask and answer questions about their international experience. While TYA Answers will provide information to signpost students onto specialist services, they are not responsible for alerting those services of the content on the site.
Global Graduates (globalgraduates.com) is a new jobs board for young people with global skills.
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For more information, contact:
Lizzie Fane, Founder of ThirdYearAbroad.com and TYA Answers
m: 07775 783 122
