#BehindEveryDoor Movement

• #BehindEveryDoor has been launched in partnership with mental health charity Chasing the Stigma, to ensure every student in every room in every accommodation has access to vital mental health support in the palm of their hands, via Chasing the Stigma’s Hub of Hope platform.

• PBSA providers including Chapter, Canvas Student, Yugo, Luna Students and Fusion Students have already pledged their support to the #BehindEveryDoor movement, enabling almost 50,000 students across the UK to access over 14,000 support services.

• Since its launch in 2022, #BehindEveryDoor has been instrumental in supporting Student Roost residents across the UK, with 5,000 QR code scans. Between September and November 2024, the platform recorded 782 searches, with anxiety (21%), depression (14%), and student support (9.5%) remaining the most prevalent concerns.
  

Student Roost, the UK’s third largest purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) provider, and award-winning mental health charity Chasing the Stigma, have launched an industry-wide movement and called upon sector leaders to work together to provide support for student mental health.

Launched in 2022 by Student Roost, the #BehindEveryDoor campaign gives access to over 14,000 tailored, local mental health support services, via Chasing the Stigma’s Hub of Hope platform, behind every bedroom door in every Student Roost property throughout the UK.

At the scan of a QR code from posters on every bedroom door, the Hub of Hope highlights charities, organisations and student services in the area that can provide support and advice on a range of topics, from depression and anxiety, loneliness, financial distress and addiction.

The need for the industry pledge is critical. Since the Hub of Hope was launched in all Student Roost properties in 2022, there has been over 5,000 scans and click throughs to the app. Between September and November 2024, there have been 782 recorded scans of the QR code or clicks on the trackable URL from the 23,000 students residing with Student Roost, equating to 65 scans per week.

The start of the year is a particularly challenging time for students, with 74% of the traffic occurring in September. This year so far, there has been a noticeable increase in searches for financial support, underscoring the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on student wellbeing, with 47.5% of scans for financial advice coming from students in Nottingham. Meanwhile, support for anxiety and depression remains the most frequently sought help each year, with residents in Belfast (17%) and Bath (15%) having the highest searches for anxiety.

In a bid to ensure every student has access to this vital service, Student Roost is calling out to leaders in the student accommodation and higher education sector to join the #BehindEveryDoor movement, putting mental health support in the palm of resident’s hands in every student accommodation, whether privately or university owned. Creating a collaborative approach within the sector will widen the data collected, enabling a powerful shift in understanding the needs of students.

Ahead of the movement launching, Greystar brands Chapter and Canvas Student, global student accommodation provider Yugo, Luna Students and Fusion Students have already pledged their support.

Lowri Edwards, Resident Wellbeing Manager at Student Roost and British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy Therapist in Training, said:

“Access to mental health support should be readily available, especially within the student accommodation and higher education sectors where young people experience new feelings, new challenges and huge changes in their lives.

“Many of these young people are leaving home for the first time and need that extra layer of support to identify and manage their feelings, to enable them to thrive in both their studies and living experiences. Data so far for the 2024/25 academic year shows that most scans of the QR code occurred in September, when students have just moved into their accommodation and began their studies.

“Additional data from the partnership has significantly helped us to develop our award-winning Resident Wellbeing strategy, while also enabling us to implement city specific initiatives based on resident needs from the most searched keywords. Student wellbeing should be a shared priority, no matter where a student calls home, and working alongside our colleagues in the industry is essential in driving meaningful, lasting change. Making the pledge will make a difference, offering a lifeline in moments of struggle and ensuring no student feels alone.”

Jake Mills, Founder and CEO at Chasing the Stigma, added:

“We have collaborated with Student Roost since 2022, when they became the first PBSA provider to introduce our Hub of Hope app across all properties, ensuring their residents can easily find the mental health support they need, when they need it.

“University can be a challenging time, and we know how important it is to have access to help and support. The UK and global landscapes are tough right now, and we’re seeing an increase in searches for student financial support during the cost-of-living crisis.

“It’s a necessity that this movement is introduced throughout the industry, to futureproof student mental wellbeing. If industry leaders work together to bring #BehindEveryDoor into every accommodation and university across the UK, they’re not just making mental health resources more accessible; they’re contributing to building a culture of care and support for every student, now and in the future.”

More information on the #BehindEveryDoor movement, and the industry pledge video, can be found here. If you are an accommodation provider, university or higher education provider and would like to pledge your support, please contact [email protected]