UNIVERSITIES in York have urged students concerned about their exams to use their facilities to get help.

PAPYRUS, the national charity dedicated to preventing young suicides, said it had seen "a dramatic increase" in the number of students seeking help for stress over the exam period.

A spokesman said an increasingly prevalent topic of this year's calls was "fear of the future - fear that if they don't pass the first time or get good grades it will impact their chances of getting a job", with students reporting feeling suicidal with worry.

Ged Flynn, chief executive of PAPYRUS, said the government needed to provide more funding to increase mental healthcare.

He said: "In the UK suicide the main cause of death of young people under 35, both male and female. It is therefore critical that, whatever the outcome of the forthcoming election, the incoming government recognises that this is a very serious issue, and honours the recent pledge made by the Prime Minister to increase support to mental services for young people. It is vital to the future of our country."

The universities in York both said they have procedures in place to help students who are worried about exams or revision.

A spokesman for the University Of York said there were a number of schemes available to help its students through stressful times, including exams, which were detailed on its website, york.ac.uk/students/health

He said: "We appreciate the exam period can be an anxious time and we have a number of support structures in place to help our students manage that stress. This includes promoting good study techniques such as eating well, sleeping well and taking a break.

"We also hold a number of workshops to help our students develop positive revision techniques and other strategies for coping with stressful situations. For a number of years we have been encouraging our students to take time out from their studies to pet a dog at the Library's Guide Dog Meet and Greet sessions. Research shows that petting and playing with animals can reduce stress hormones and lower blood pressure."

A spokeswoman for York St John University said a range of help was available to students at yorksj.ac.uk/student-services and the university was continually developing its support.

She said: "In 2012/13, the university introduced a new multi-disciplinary Wellbeing Team consisting of counsellors, mental health advisers and welfare advisers, increasing the resource spend on supporting students by 75%. Since then, there has been a 70% increase in students accessing our counselling, mental health and welfare support.

"Our Wellbeing Drop-In sessions are available every day and the Wellbeing Team is very accessible. As a result, York St John students can be assessed by a psychological professional the same or next day after deciding to seek support. The Wellbeing Team see students with a wide range of issues, the two biggest presentations are anxiety and depression which is the same across all universities."

Students at York St John can also access a Study Development Team, which helps students prepare for exams in one-to-one and small groups, a University Mental Health Day, and an online tool to help students and staff improve their wellbeing.

*For confidential, practical suicide support and advice for young people and concerned others contact PAPYRUS HOPELineUK tel 0800 0684141 text 07786 209697 email pat@papyrus-uk.org