ACTNow: Mental health matters just as much as academic success

Acknowledging the growing mental health challenges among young people, Pharmacist Support is encouraging pharmacy students to take immediate action to prioritise their mental health and wellbeing throughout their academic and professional journey.

To support wellbeing support to MPharm students, the charity is launching its 2025 Student ACTNow campaign on University Mental Health Day (Thursday, 13th March).

This initiative aims to provide pharmacy students with practical, accessible, and ongoing mental health support throughout their studies.

“We want to reassure pharmacy students that their mental health matters just as much as their academic success,” said Danielle Hunt, chief executive of Pharmacist Support.

“Pharmacy is a demanding profession, but no student should feel they have to face these challenges alone,” she added, urging students to reach out for support.

Mental health challenges faced by students

Through its engagement with students, Pharmacist Support has identified key mental health challenges they face, including:

• Exam and OSCE anxiety
• The stress of failing exams or repeating years
• Financial worries
• Balancing academic studies with part-time work
• General mental health issues, particularly anxiety
• Navigating neurodiverse conditions such as autism, ADHD, and dyslexia
• Concerns over securing the right foundation training placement and transitioning from university to foundation training
• Coping with bereavement

The organisation’s recent University staff survey highlighted exam pressures, financial concerns, and mental health struggles as major stressors for students.

Several studies have underscored this growing crisis. For example, the 2023 Student Academic Experience Survey (SAES) by TASO and King’s College found that student mental health issues have nearly tripled.

Additionally, the 2022/23 survey by The Tab revealed that:

• 69% of students reported mental health difficulties, with 61% struggling with anxiety.
• 85% of students facing mental health challenges had missed a lecture or seminar.
• Only 12% of students felt their university handled mental health support well, with most students reluctant to disclose their mental health struggles.

“These findings highlight the pressing need for proactive mental health support in universities,” Danielle noted.

Supporting student wellbeing

Danielle called on universities and professional bodies to demonstrate their commitment to the wellbeing of students by:

• Offering ongoing support through university intranet platforms, student communications, and social spaces. This could be by:
• oactively promoting awareness of the support available through Pharmacist Support and other resources.
• oproviding students with practical wellbeing tools, such as signposting to resources or hosting workshops.
• oCollaborating with organisations like Pharmacist Support to integrate wellbeing resources and workshops into the curriculum.
• Encouraging students to become Pharmacist Support ambassadors to foster peer-led wellbeing initiatives.
• Creating supportive learning environments where students feel valued and heard. This could be through student feedback surveys and focus groups to tailor mental health initiatives.

Pharmacist Support has already been working with Manchester University to enhance student awareness of its services through posters, digital screens, and structured wellbeing resources available across all four years of study.

Key messages for pharmacy students

Danielle shared key messages for pharmacy students struggling with their mental health:

• Wellbeing should be a core part of university life—seek out support early and don’t struggle alone.
• Pharmacist Support is here to help with resources, services, and a community that understands your challenges.
• Engage with initiatives like ACTNow to access wellbeing strategies tailored to your journey.
• Take advantage of workshops, peer support groups, and wellbeing tools provided by your university and professional bodies.
• Completing a personal wellbeing plan can help you and your university staff understand any challenges you face.
• Be aware of key stress points, such as exams and placements, and plan ahead for support.

ACTNow campaign

The ACTNow campaign was first launched in May 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Its goal was to encourage individuals and teams in the pharmacy profession to:

• Allow time for wellbeing
• Consider the needs of colleagues
• Take action (to support themselves and others)

Following its success, ACTNow continued in 2021 with a more targeted approach, addressing the specific wellbeing needs of pharmacy students, trainees, and pharmacists at key points in their journey.

Over the past few years, Pharmacist Support has strengthened its collaboration with universities, aligning the campaign with University Mental Health Day to maximise its impact.

The 2025 campaign will focus on building a “stronger, ongoing relationship with MPharm students,” said Danielle.

By signing up for free year-round support, students will gain access to tailored resources designed to help them navigate every stage of their pharmacy career – from preparing for exams and becoming trainee pharmacists, to navigating their transition into registered pharmacy professionals, independent prescribers and beyond.

As an added bonus, every student who signs up by University Mental Health Day (UMHD) will receive an exclusive Mental Health and Wellbeing Virtual Toolbox to kick start their wellbeing journey.

Danielle emphasised that through this strengthened relationship, the charity aims to develop a deeper understanding of students’ needs and ensure they are aware of the free, confidential support available throughout their careers.

She said: “By providing practical, accessible and ongoing wellbeing support, we aim to empower students to not just succeed academically and professionally, but to thrive personally too.

“The Student ACTNow campaign is more than just a launch event – it’s a gateway to long-term support that will be there throughout their career.”

Impact of 2024 campaign

According to Pharmacy Support, the 2024 campaign saw a 30% increase in student sign-ups.

In their feedback survey, 86.62% of respondents said they found the campaign ‘useful’ or ‘very useful’ in supporting their wellbeing, while 83% of students expressed interest in similar future campaigns.

There was increased diversity in engagement, with significant participation from students of Pakistani (29.41%) and Asian British (20.59%) backgrounds.

“Positive student feedback highlighted that the campaign provided reassurance, practical wellbeing strategies, and useful resources tailored to their concerns,” the charity noted.

Student feedback on ACTNow

• “It was good to find out about pharmacist support as I didn't know about them before”
• “Good reminder on being healthy during exam season”
• “Resources actually related to worries we might have”
• “Signposts us to lots of different material”
• “The ACTNow campaign is reassurance that we are not alone.”
• “It’s really good how you have information on any scenario - some people may think they are alone in how they are feeling so these resources may help to reassure students.”
• “It helped me to remember that my mental health is important too.”

Pharmacist Support ACTNow campaign is sponsored by the PDA and Boots.

ACTNow! To sign up to and access FREE wellbeing support, visit: Pharmacist Support