S5. Ep.7: Mental Health at Cambridge - What needs to change?

Switchboard

This week, hosts Issy Roberts and Maddy Fisher tackle student mental health at Cambridge, in a term where the start of the notoriously difficult week five coincides with the start of a month-long national lockdown.

Switchboard talks to the BME campaign’s mental health and disabilities officer Elia Chitwa about their experiences of poor mental health at Cambridge, and how BME students are disproportionately impacted by mental health issues at Cambridge. (01:10).

Former Pembroke student Luke Naylor-Perrott tells Varsity about the documentary he directed, Feeling Blue, which tackles the mental health crisis at Cambridge, and how he thinks the university can improve its provisions. (02:51).

Maddy talks to natural sciences student Karris McGonigle about her petition to introduce a reading week to counter ‘Week Five Blues’, and if she thinks the discourse around week five creates a self-fulfilling prophecy. (15:36).

Disability Resource Centre mentor, Julie Bailey, tells Switchboard why she thinks mentors should be available to all students, regardless of disability. (21:42).

Finally, Switchboard talks to an anonymous Camfess admin about how the nature of submissions have changed since the beginning of the pandemic, with there being a significant increase in the number of posts by students struggling with loneliness, anxiety and isolation. (27:44).

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