The number of students seeking mental health support while studying at university has increased by more than 50% in five years, BBC Shared Data Unit analysis suggests.

The BBC’s Shared Data Unit sent a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to 172 UK universities. Nine were exempt as they were private institutions not subject to FOI and 162 universities responded out of the remaining 163.

Of 83 universities that provided five years of full data from 2012 to 2017, the number of students seeking help rose from 50,900 to 78,100. The number of students going to university dropped slightly over the same period.

At the same time, budgets towards mental health services increased by more than 40%.

The Shared Data Hub makes data journalism available to news organisations across the media industry, as part of a partnership between the BBC and the News Media Association. Stories generated by the partnership included:

• Jesmond Local: Local university sees increase in student mental health access 29 October 2018
• Rochdale Online: Mental health at university 29 October 2018
• Yorkshire Post: Pressures fuel university student mental health crisis 29 October 2018
• Nantwich News: Rise in students seeking mental health support at regional universities 29 October 2018
• ITV News: More students are seeking help for their mental health 29 October 2018
• Sunderland Echo: Sunderland students turning to support services rises by 378% 29 October 2018
• The Press (York): Number of York St John students seeking mental health help up 75% 29 October 2018
• Kent Online: Why are more students in Kent seeking mental health support? 30 October 2018
• Pirate FM: Mental health budget at Falmouth Uni nearly quadruples 30 October 2018
• The Evening Express (Aberdeen): Figures reveal rise in Aberdeen students seeking mental health help 30 October 2019
• Cornish Stuff: Half of all Falmouth Uni students seeking help for mental health 5 November 2018
• Ipswich Star: University of Suffolk setting standards for higher education mental health support 26 November 2018
• Jesmond Local: University counselling services understaffed, local students say 4 January 2018

The story was also covered by BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio 4 Today Programme, BBC WM, BBC Radio Shropshire, BBC Hereford & Worcester and BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Homepage, BBC Scotland TV, BBC Scotland, BBC Victoria Derbyshire, BBC Radio Bristol, BBC Bristol, BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio London, BBC News Channel, BBC Scotland - Timeline, BBC Somerset, BBC Wiltshire and BBC Cambridgeshire.

Non partner coverage:

• The Telegraph: University students asking for mental health help up 50 per cent in five years, FOI shows, as minister says they must be 'supported not mollycoddled' 29 October 2018
• Wonkfest - Education blog: Wonkfest preview: mental health, morale and wellbeing 1 November 2018
• Not in vain for lee: Huge rise in students in Scotland seeking mental health support 30 october 2018
• The Herald: Students seeking counselling doubles 30 October 2018
• Forge Today: Opinion: Demand on Mental Health Support Doubles in Five Years 18 November 2018

• University mental health

• Bar chart: More students seeking mental health support
• Data pic: University mental health services expenditure

• Project briefing