Life

The secrets of a Nightline listener: Revealing the unheard voices of student mental health support services

Being a university student can simultaneously feel like one of the best times and one of the worst times of your life.

Feelings of isolation, anxiety, and being overwhelmed are amplified during a time of discovering yourself and gaining independence.

Those feelings gain momentum during the night, when students are entirely alone with their thoughts and struggles, and feel as though there is no one to talk to.

It is during this time when many students seek support from Nightline – an anonymous, non-advisory listening service run for students by students, through phone calls, texts, instant messaging services or emails.

Nightline offers a listening ear to students who need to talk, or to cry, or to feel less alone with their problems.

The service, which runs during term-time at over 40 universities around the country, consists of trained students using active listening skills to support their peers through any difficulties they may be feeling.

SWL spoke to three ex-Nightline volunteers to hear about the unheard voices taking these calls.

Read the full story here.

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