Between bustling car parks and the high walls of academic buildings there is a small white house where a Perth university is taking a new approach to mental health.
The Living Room is a service where students support students — with a little help from some four-legged friends — and the program has been so popular it has expanded beyond the walls of the room itself.
Launched in 2020, the University of WA program offers peer support from trained students, often in the presence of therapy dogs such as Frankie the bordoodle.
Clinical lead Liz Caddy said it was an innovative model for mental health support that was attracting plenty of students.
"That transition to tertiary education can be really challenging for young people and so we are understanding that university students are struggling with quite significant mental health challenges at times," she said.
The popularity of the service has led organisers to start a similar, after-hours service at a university library.
It does not require an appointment or a referral, so students can seek support as soon as they feel ready.
Benefits of student-to-student support
Ivan Jeftic is among a group of students who have undergone training to be a peer supporter at the drop-in service.
He said the model broke down barriers that could otherwise deter some students from seeking support.
"You don't have that sort of anxiety and nerves with talking to a superior," Mr Jeftic said.
"It's more you're chatting about your problems with someone else who may have friends who have gone through something similar, or has gone through something similar themselves."
Mr Jeftic said peer supporters like him were on hand to listen and help to guide students towards additional support if they needed it.
In 2021 the centre counted almost 1,500 visits from about 550 individuals.
Jian Zhao, another one of the peer supporters, said she was able to draw from her own experience as a Chinese student in Australia when supporting international students.
"I know their difficulties and their struggles, because living in a foreign country speaking with a foreign language and losing all the familiar social support could be difficult," Ms Zhao said.
"So I think it was really great that we could provide a safe and supportive environment for them to seek help to talk to someone."
The dogs that visit the centre on particular days can attract up to 50 students to the verandah of the house.
"I think the dogs are the superstars, frankly," Ms Zhao said.
Pets as tension breakers
Ms Caddy, the owner of popular dog Frankie, said there are a few reasons why the dogs were such a big drawcard.
"I think a lot of students, you know, especially those who are living away from home, really miss their animals," she said.
"And so that can be really nice, that sense of connection and belonging to something that's happening in the university is lovely for them."
Sophia Moore, a peer supporter who is doing a Masters and PhD in psychology at the university, said she thinks a similar model could be successful in other settings outside the university.
"I think if we do have a wider range, and we have it more available, like maybe starting off at universities, and then other places where there's a lot of vulnerable people who are really struggling, I think that would be a fantastic initiative," she said.
The Living Room has been nominated for the Lifeline WA Promotion or Prevention Award at the WA Mental Health Awards 2022.
