Nearly 31,000 Mental Health Appointments For Otago Students Since 2020

The NZR explores student use of Otago University's mental health service that sees thousands of students each year and a growing pool of gender diverse students seeking help. Poll included.

By contrast, women have continued to make up the bulk of the figures. In 2020, they made up 72.27 percent of the total. That percentage continued to climb, and by 2022, they made up 76.86%. But that dropped to 68.63% last year.

The NZR

Since 2020, close to 31,000 appointments have been made through the Otago University’s Mental Health and Wellbeing (MWHB) service.

Otago students seeking MHWB help, says the university, can do so “in person or via telehealth. MHWB appointments include psychiatry, clinical psychology, counselling, and mental health support assessments”.

Source: Otago University website

The 2023 data shows an approximate 19.85 percent reduction in student appointments, when compared to the first year of the pandemic. The numbers also show a resurgence in the number of male patients. It also reveals that since 2020, women still make up the bulk of patients overall and a greater number of gender diverse students are seeking help.

In 2020, eight thousand and eleven (8611) Mental Health and Wellbeing (MHWB) appointments were made by a total of 2412 students. In the depths of the pandemic in 2021, the numbers swelled to 8654 appointments and 2630 students.

In 2020, 651 men had made appointments. By 2022, their numbers had dropped significantly to 495, before rebounding in 2023 to 641 students.