For Christians, the local church is a key context for pastoral support. Finding a church at Uni is vitally important. Your Christian Union works with local churches to ensure new students find a church and settle quickly.
If you find you are struggling to cope, make the staff of either your home church and/or your university church aware of your needs. The church should be able to offer support and point you to where you can find help.
It is important you register with a GP when you arrive at Uni. Through your GP you will be able to access NHS support.
Your university will also have support services for students. These services are there to help you if you find you are struggling with health, social or academic difficulties. If you are finding it hard to cope, then approach student welfare and ask for help.
Disclaimer: These organisations are not affiliated or associated with UCCF. If you have any concerns for your mental health, it is best to speak to your GP. If you (or anyone you know) is in immediate danger, call 999.
Website: https://www.ccef.org/book-category/minibooks/
CCEF has been running for over 40 years and has many resources. The most popular include series of very small books on a range of issues Christians face (see also 10ofthose.com)
Phone: 0300 123 3393
Email: info@mind.org.uk
Website: www.mind.org.uk
Instagram: @mindcharity
Phone: 0121 522 7007 (general enquiries)
Email: info@rethink.org
Website: www.rethink.org
Instagram: @rethinkmentalillness
Rethink mental illness provide a range of support, advice and information services relating to mental illness, as well as conducting national campaigns and research. Rethink runs over 200 mental health services and 150 support groups across England, including therapy services, peer support groups and many more
Website: www.nhs.uk
NHS Choices provides a wide range of accessible information on all health related issues, including symptoms, conditions, treatments and local NHS services available. This includes a dedicated section on mental health (under ‘Live Well’ heading)
Phone: Numbers vary, check website for local nightline numbers available
Website: www.nightline.ac.uk
Instagram: Various depending on the university
The nightline association provides listening, support and information helplines run by university students, including about mental health related issues
Email: info@studentminds.org.uk
Website: www.studentminds.org.uk
Instagram: @studentmindsorg
Student Minds is the UK’s student mental health charity, aiming to provide students with the skills, knowledge and confidence to talk about their mental health and support their peers.
Phone: 0800 088 66 86
Website: https://www.rehab-recovery.co.uk/
Rehab Recovery is an organisation that provides addiction treatment and healthcare advice for a wide range of different addiction and dependency problems. They offer high-quality advice and referral service that matches clients to the right variety of treatment which will solve their problems and let them get on with their normal lives free of the burden of addiction.
Website: https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk
Helpline: 0800 9177650
A long standing group-based alcohol recovery programme (with resources also available for families or friends of those who depend on alcohol, Al-Anon)
Instagram: @helpfordependency
Website: https://www.helpfordependency.co.uk/we-are-with-you/
Supports adults, children, young adult and older people to make positive behavioural changes around alcohol, drugs, mental health and wellbeing
Phone: 0207 766 9900
Email: contact@drinkaware.co.uk
Website: www.drinkaware.co.uk
Independent charity working to reduce alcohol misuse and harm in the UK. The website has free drink trackers and tools to assess your own drinking levels.
Phone: 0300 123 1110
(Freephone, 9am – 8pm Mon-Fri; 11am-4pm Sat-Sun)
Drinkline is a free, confidential national helpline for people who are concerned about their own or someone else’s drinking
Sober for Good: New solutions for Drinking Problems – Advice from Those Who have Succeeded by A Fletcher – An exploration of recovery from problem drinking, taking account of varied lived experience
Phone: 03444 775 774
Text: 07537 416
Email: support@anxietyuk.org.uk
Website: www.anxietyuk.org.uk
Instagram: @anxietyukofficial
Anxiety UK is a national charity run by people with lived experience of anxiety, aiming to support everyone affected by anxiety through information and support. This includes talking therapies and self-help groups
Phone: 0300 7729844
(Helpline, 10am – 10pm, 7 days a week)
Phone: 0330 606 1174
(Youth helpline for 13 to 20 year olds, 4-6pm Mon-Fri)
Email: admin@nopanic.org.uk
Website: www.nopanic.org.uk
Instagram: @charitynopanic
No panic is a charity which helps people who experience any kind of anxiety disorder. It specialises in self-help based recovery via their helpline and resources available on their website.
Overcoming Anxiety by David Powlison – A Christian approach to facing ongoing anxiety
Hope in an anxious world by Helen Thorne – Encouragement and hope for any Christian looking to be free from anxiety
Overcoming social anxiety and shyness: A self-help guide using cognitive behavioural techniques by G Butler – A self-help guide to social anxiety based on cognitive behavioural therapy
Overcoming anxiety: A self-help guide using cognitive behavioural techniques by H Kennerley – A self-help guide to anxiety based on cognitive behavioural therapy
Phone: Book a call using the chatbox function
Email: info@bipolaruk.org
Website: www.bipolaruk.org
Bipolar UK is the national charity dedicated to supporting individuals with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, as well as their families and carers. Provide information through their website and via phone and also run national self-help support groups, online support and employment support
Bipolar Disorder: Understanding and help for extreme mood swings by Ed Welch
Phone: 0800 634 9494 (Freephone helpline, 9am – 5pm, Mon-Fri)
Website: www.bereavementadvice.org
The Bereavement Advice Centre supports and advises people after a death in England and Wales. Their website and helpline provides help with the wide range of practical issues that need to be managed after a bereavement as well as signposting to other support
Phone: Under review until further notice
Email: email.support@uksobs.org
Email (for men): bereaveMENt@uksobs.org
Website: www.uk-sobs.org.uk
Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide is the national charity to meet the needs and break the isolation experienced by those bereaved by suicide. A self-help organisation which provides support via a range of means, including via email and through running self-help groups.
Grief: Finding hope again by Paul David Tripp
Grieving a suicide: Help for the aftershock by David Powlison
Untangling Emotions by Alasdair Groves and Winston Smith – A book setting out a holistic view of emotions rooted in the bible, how to engage with them (incl. the more complex ones like fear and anger)
Phone: 0808 808 4000
(Freephone, 9am – 8pm Mon-Fri, 9:30am – 1pm Sat)
Website: www.nationaldebtline.org
The National Debtline is an independent charity which provides free, confidential specialist advice on managing financial debt via a helpline, online information and free web chats
Helpline: 0800 328 0006
Website: https://capuk.org
Instagram: @capuk_org
Instagram (Scotland): @cap_scotland
Christians Against Poverty (CAP) provides free debt help and local community groups across the UK. Our free services, run with local churches, provide practical and emotional support and show people that there is always hope.
Email: info@depressionuk.org
Website: www.depressionuk.org
Depression UK is a national self-help organisation that offers support to everyone affected by depression
Hope for the depressed by Ed Welch – Short book for any Christian facing depression
Depression: The way up when you are down by Ed Welch
Christians get depressed too by David Murray – Set for release July 2022
Beating the Blues by S Tanner and J Ball – A very readable step-by-step self help programme for depression using cognitive behavioural therapy.
Overcoming Depression: A self-help guide using Cognitive Behavioural Techniques by P Gilbert – A self-help manual for depression based on cognitive behavioural therapy.
Spurgeon’s Sorrows by Zach Eswine
Website: https://www.talk-ed.org.uk
Anorexia & Bulimia Care is a national UK eating, emotional support and practical guidance for anyone affected by eating disorders. Includes nutritional guidance/ support and befriending services
Phone (England): 0808 801 0677
Phone (Scotland): 0808 801 0432
Phone (Wales): 0808 801 0433
Website: www.b-eat.co.uk
Beat is the UK’s leading charity supporting anyone affected by eating disorders. Runs helplines for adults and young people, online support as well as peer support groups across the country
National charity raising awareness of eating disorders in men. Also provides peer support services for men affected by eating disorders.
Eating Disorders: The quest for thinness by Ed Welch
Overeating: When enough isn’t enough by Mike Emlet
A New Name by Emma Scrivener – A story of grace and healing for anorexia
A New Day by Emma Scrivener – A journey to healing from eating disorder and OCD
Getting better bite by bite: A survival Kit for sufferers of Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorders by U Schmidt – A self help guide to bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder, based on cognitive behavioural therapy principles
OCD: Freedom for the Obsessively Compulsive by Mike Emlet
Website: www.harmless.org.uk
Harmless is a user led organisation that provides a range of services about self-harm, including support, information, training and consultancy to people who self-harm, their friends and families and professionals. Includes resources on alternative coping strategies.
Phone: 0808 800 8088 (Freephone helplines, 7pm – 10pm, Mon-Fri)
Text support: 07537 43244 (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 7pm - 9:30pm)
Website: www.selfinjurysupport.org.uk
Instagram: @self_injury_support
Self injury Support is a national organisation that supports girls and women affected by self injury or self-harm. They run a dedicated self-injury helpline, as well as text and email support for girls and young women under 24 years of age and supports self-injury self-help groups
Self-injury: When pain feels good by Ed Welch
Phone: 0800 068 4141 (Frephone helpline. Mon-Fri 10am-10pm, weekends 2pm – 10pm)
Email: pat@papyrus-uk.org
Website: www.papyrus-uk.org
Instagram: @papyrus_uk
Papyrus is a national charity for the prevention of young suicide. It runs HOPElineUK, a dedicated suicide prevention hotline for anyone up to the age of 35 who may be feeling suicidal, or anyone who is concerned about a young person
Phone: 0800 58 58 58
(Helpline, 5pm – midnight, 7 days a week)
Email: info@thecalmzone.net
Website: www.thecalmzone.net
Instagram: @calmzone
The Campaign Against Living Miserably is a charity which exists to prevent male suicide in the UK. They run a dedicated support line and online webchat for men who are experiencing emotional distress or who are in crisis. It also seeks to challenge a culture that prevents men from seeking help when they need it.
Phone: 116 123 (Helpline)
Email: jo@samaritans.org
Instagram: @samaritanscharity
A leading national charity dedicated to preventing suicide. Provides a crisis support hotline and resources for anyone feeling suicidal.
I just want to die: Replacing suicidal thoughts with hope by David Powlison
Suicide: Understanding and intervening by Jeffrey S Black
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