News12 August 2026
Today, TASO and the Policy Institute at King’s College London published a new report highlighting student mental health disparities linked to regional higher education participation rates. We found that, on average, just over one quarter of students (26%) from the areas with lowest participation had a mental health difficulty, compared with just under one fifth (19%) from areas with the most participation.
The report analyses mental health trends by demographic factors such as socioeconomic status, gender, sexual identity, gender identity, ethnicity and educational background using data from the Student Academic Experience Survey (SAES) 2025.
The report finds that since 2017, the proportion of students reporting mental health challenges has more than tripled, with a 5.5% increase in the past year alone.
Participation rates, schooling and mental health
The data shows that from 2022, students from areas that have lowest rates of higher education participation (POLAR quintiles 1 and 2) – are significantly more likely to experience mental health difficulties than those from areas that have the highest rates of participation in higher education (POLAR quintiles 4 and 5).
And while mental health difficulties have risen among both state- and privately-educated students, the gap between the two groups has continued to widen. In 2025, state-educated students were, on average, 41% more likely to report mental health challenges than their privately educated peers.
Despite evidence that few students regret attending university, the reduction in dropout consideration seen in 2024 has been largely reversed in 2025. Financial stress is now cited more often as a reason, although mental health remains the most significant factor overall.
Professor Michael Sanders, Professor of Public Policy at the Policy Institute, King’s College London, and co-author of the report, said:”This research shows just how much a student’s postcode and background can shape their university experience. As pressures on students mount – financially and academically – we need targeted, evidence-based support that reaches those most at risk, not a one-size-fits-all approach to mental health provision.”
Dr Omar Khan, Chief Executive of TASO, said: “This report lays bare an unjust reality: a student’s background is increasingly dictating their mental wellbeing. It is unacceptable that state-educated students are now 41% more likely to face mental health challenges than their privately-educated peers. Students from less affluent areas are being caught in a perfect storm of academic pressure and financial stress, often forced to work long hours just to get by.”
“We are continuing to work with the higher education sector to better understand what works to improve student mental health, with the aim to close this widening gap and ensure students have the support they need to thrive.”
Other key findings
Working while studying
Students are working substantially more than they were in 2020. The average number of hours worked each week has approximately doubled. Paid work is becoming more closely associated with student mental health difficulties. Compared to previous years, students working around 20 hours a week in 2025 were much more likely to report mental health difficulties than those not working at all.
Gender
Nearly half (46%) of non-binary students report mental health difficulties, compared with 8% of females and 4% of males. While non-binary students make up a small group comparatively, the difference remains striking. The gap between female and male students is also statistically significant and has widened slightly, compared with the previous year.
Race and ethnicity
In the past year, there has been a significant rise in mental health difficulties among white and mixed-ethnicity students, with approximately one in five and one in four students experiencing mental health difficulties, respectively. There has been a decline in mental health challenges among Black African, Black ‘Other’, Indian and Pakistani students.
LGBTQ+
The incidence of mental health challenges is markedly higher in students who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer or asexual (LGBQA) than for straight students. Gay men fare significantly better than other LGBQA groups on this measure, although they still have worse mental health than straight people overall. Trans people are more than twice as likely to experience mental health difficulties than cisgender people.