Posted on: 7 February 2022

A specialist mental health service has been launched by the Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, in collaboration with UCL, to help support students who are experiencing lifestyle and addiction problems.

The Changing Unwanted BEhaviour (CUBE) clinic provides free, confidential support to UCL students, who want help with issues including alcohol and drugs misuse, gaming and gambling.

Staffed by psychiatrists and psychologists, CUBE offers information and advice, assessment and psychological treatment, support for family and friends, and can connect students with other relevant services.

It will operate as part of the existing UCL University Clinic at 1-19 Torrington Place and will support students reach their goal. For some this may be to better control a particular behaviour, for others it will be to stop completely.

Professor Deborah Gill, Pro-Vice-Provost (Student Experience) and Chair of PsychUp said: “UCL is pleased to host this highly innovative support option for its students some of whom may be struggling with problem behaviours which we know, if not tackled early, can lead to very serious consequences for their health, their career and their life.”

The CUBE service builds on the Club Drug Clinic launched by the Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, which provides help for those experienced problems with recreational drugs.

Steve Pilling, a Professor of Clinical Psychology & Clinical Effectiveness at UCL Division of Psychology & Language Sciences has worked with Club Drug Clinic founder, Dr Owen Bowden-Jones, to develop the UCL service.

Professor Pilling said: “Having an NHS resource inside the university will greatly improve accessibility to an evidence-based therapeutic resource for students at all stages of their education.”

Dr Bowden Jones said: “Many students experience particular challenges at University, including loneliness and academic stress, and these have been magnified during the pandemic. Some students turn to alcohol, drugs and other behaviours to cope and subsequently lose control of how they use them. The CUBE clinic is one of the few free, confidential, student-specific services offering support to regaining control or stop harmful behaviours.”

This is the second student focused mental health service collaboration with the NHS. In 2021 the University Clinic for Anxiety and Depression was set up with the Camden and Islington NHS Trust.

Professor Peter Fonagy, Head of UCL’s Division of Psychology & Language Sciences, said: “Direct links into NHS clinical expertise is a substantial advantage for our determination that we provide the highest quality support for UCL students as part of the excellent UCL Student Support and Wellbeing offer. Mental wellbeing is a Global Strategic Challenge for UCL. We should start by challenging ourselves and doing the best we can do for our students and staff.”

Face-to-face appointments are available, and students can self-refer by emailing cnwl.cube@nhs.net or ask their GP or other health professional to refer them.

More information about the service can be found at https://www.clubdrugclinic.cnwl.nhs.uk/cube-clinic

More information about the University Clinic for Anxiety and Depression, can be found here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/pals/psychology-informing-university-practices-wellbeing/university-clinic