Home > Projects > Supporting student mental health and wellbeing
May 2022
Supporting student mental health and wellbeing
Resources and knowledge to help universities and colleges provide support for students.
In partnership with
Mental health matters to overall wellbeing at all stages of life, and universities and colleges are an important context for supporting this.
Levels of depression and anxiety among young people have increased in recent years, particularly for disadvantaged young people, who also face practical and structural barriers to learning and progression.
Understanding the drivers and determinants of student wellbeing will not only help them thrive during their studies, but also establish the foundations for lifelong learning and their future wellbeing.
Understanding what works
The biggest drivers of adult wellbeing (16 years and up) are:
So in 2020, together with the University of Liverpool, we published a review of reviews mapping which interventions work to better the mental health and wellbeing in higher education and adult learning.
The review looked at a range of interventions including mindfulness, psychological, technological, recreation and setting-based interventions. The research established the global evidence base for the sector to build on.
You can explore the full report, as well as a shorter briefing which summarises its findings, in the resources below.
In 2023, we analysed UK data to understand how the wellbeing and mental health of students in higher education varies over time and in relation to demographic characteristics and circumstances.
It is a priority for higher education institutions to create the conditions to protect and improve mental health and wellbeing in an effective and safe way.
Knowing what can be commissioned and done with confidence in the outcome is key to improving outcomes.
Knowing where the knowledge gaps are, what is truly innovative and working with partners to fill those gaps is key to accelerating learning, including working on methodological developments.
Building on on our previous work, we are now part of a consortium of partners that is pooling its expertise to help universities and colleges to identify and make use of effective practice in supporting student mental health.
We are working towards the creation of a ‘what works’ digital resource shared across the partner sites that includes:
A toolkit collating up-to-date info on what we know works
In-depth information on intervention types
A bank of case study examples
Evaluation guidance
We are sharing these outputs as they are developed. To keep up to date, explore the resources below or sign up to our newsletter.
Who is this for?
Anyone working with students or interested in supporting student mental health looking to use evidence to inform decision making, practice and future research.
For example:
Student mental health practitioners
Student services and related support staff
Leaders and senior managers of higher education institutions
Teaching staff
Evaluators
Education funders and commissioners
Policymakers
Researchers interested in student mental health and wellbeing
These resources are designed to be iterative and sustainable. If you’d like to let us know how you’re engaging with our resources, submit an evaluation or case study for inclusion, or let us know about a useful additional resource, please get in touch.
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