Student wellbeing during COVID-19 | Charlie Waller Trust

Nearly 400 people attended a lecture on student mental health delivered by Charlie Waller trustee Professor Roz Shafran last week

Student stress and coping during COVID-19 was the focus of the 2020 Monica Fooks Memorial Lecture hosted by Somerville College, the University of Oxford.

Professor Shafran led the Lecture, set up in memory of ex-Somerville College student Monica, who took her own life in 1994. Professor Shafran gave an overview of student stress pre-Covid and the impact of the pandemic on student wellbeing.

Professor Shafran, who founded the Charlie Waller Institute at the University of Reading which focuses on evidenced-based psychological treatment, explored healthy and unhealthy coping strategies as well as resources and interventions available.

You can listen again to the lecture, which was broadcast on Crowdcast.

Fellow Charlie Waller trustee and Chief Executive of Oxford Health Dr Nick Broughton introduced the talk. He said:

Life as a student is fundamentally different to what it was ten months ago. All the things students took for granted have changed - whether it be exam schedules, face-to-face learning, social lives or sporting lives. The pressures our students are facing now are significantly greater as a consequence.

Clare Stafford, CEO of the Charlie Waller Trust, said:

This was an incredibly insightful and informative event, which explored how COVID-19 has impacted on student mental health. There is no one better qualified than Roz to help guide students on evidence-based healthy coping strategies. We really hope it will help support student mental health during these uncertain and changing times.