Mind the Gap: Improving student mental health support through higher education and NHS partnerships

The Mental Health Challenge Competition programme ran from June 2019 until June 2022, and sought to deliver a ‘step change in support for student mental health’. The Office for Students funded a range of projects to strengthen partnerships between higher education providers and primary care and community mental health services, hoping to reduce the risk of students falling through the gaps between different support providers.

This report draws on the findings from these projects to share learning regarding effective practice and common challenges in developing strategic partnerships between NHS providers, community mental health services and higher education providers.