Student Counselling and Mental Health Advice Service
LGBTQ+ Inclusivity Statement
University is a period when students are vulnerable to experiencing mental health and well-being difficulties and these challenges are amplified for LGBTQ+ students. The 2021 UCAS report on student mental health: UCAS Report on Student Mental Health 2021, found some LGBTQ+ groups to be around six times more likely to share a mental health condition. Given that half of students choose not to disclose a mental health condition, this is likely to be an under-representation.
At Imperial College London we are committed to nurturing a community where all sexual orientations and gender identities are heard, affirmed, valued, and respected. We acknowledge that everyone has their own unique experiences of discrimination and oppression and seek to affirm and help students explore their many intersecting identities, including a/sexuality, a/gender, race, ability, religion, and class.
Imperial Student Counselling & Mental Health Service is dedicated to understanding students’ experiences, particularly the impact of prejudice and discrimination on mental health and well-being. The service’s staff are committed to undertaking training, regular refreshers, and frequent reflective practice to create a welcoming and supportive space for LGBTQ+ students.
We seek to affirm and support students in exploring all a/sexual orientations and a/gender identities. You will be accepted without exception; we are committed to supporting and empowering you.
Imperial have a range of useful resources:
- IQ (Student LGBTQ+ society)
- Imperial College Union LGBTQ+ Network
- Imperial 600 (Postgraduate students & Staff Network)
- Imperial webpage: LGBTQ+ EDI
- Imperial webpage: How to be a LGBTQ+/bi/trans ally
- Imperial has signed Stonewall's Trans Rights are Human Rights public statement, to express support for our trans staff, students, alumni and the wider trans community.
If you have any further questions, please email: counselling@imperial.ac.uk
N.B We use the phrasing ‘a/sexuality’ and ‘a/gender’ to acknowledge that sexual and gender diversity includes people who identify as asexual and agender, as well as those who identify with.
Urgent Care
If you need urgent help please contact your doctor, or Imperial College Health Centre on 020 7584 6301.
You can also ask to see someone at the Accident and Emergency department of your nearest hospital. Information about your local A&E services can be found here - Find your nearest A&E - NHS (www.nhs.uk) Call 999 if you need help straight away
Other urgent out of hours mental health support
Samaritans - for people experience high levels of distress including suicidal feelings. Call 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org, this service is 24 hours.
Shout crisis text service - offers a 24 hour text service, free on all major mobile networks, for anyone in crisis anytime, anywhere. Text 'SHOUT' to 85258.