Mental health and well-being

Advice on effective mental health support for students and staff to create a happier, healthier campus. Find out how universities and academics can promote well-being, protect their campus community from spiralling stress, minimise the risk of burnout and build resilience - from institutional practices that create a culture of care to personal self-care tips and healthy habits for overworked academics and students.

Spotlight guide: Duty of care, making university safe for all

Duty of care: making university safe for all

Safeguarding advice to help universities look after students and staff, both on campus and online

Campus team

Campus

A group of students interacting happily around a laptop

‘Joy doesn’t dilute academic rigour. It sustains it’

By weaving playfulness, humour and authenticity into teaching, research and departmental culture, academics can spark curiosity, strengthen collaboration and tackle difficult conversations, say Alice Wilson and Madeleine Steeds

Alice Wilson, Madeleine Steeds

Manchester Metropolitan University, University College Dublin

More than singing: a university choir as a cultural hub

Flexibility, pedagogical sensitivity, community and well-being – far more than artistic perfection – emerge as strong notes in the process of establishing a university choir

László Matos

Semmelweis University

A teacher helping a student with mental health issues

I’m a well-being adviser: here’s how to support students with mental health issues

As students arrive at university with increasingly complex mental health needs, academics are often keen to help but unsure where to start. Tessa Warinner shares practical tips

Tessa Warinner

The University of Edinburgh

A book with heart-shaped pages in front of a stacked bookcase

Has your relationship with your PhD lost its spark?

Make sure you and your PhD aren’t drifting into a toxic relationship. Here’s how to recapture the magic

Lucia Juarez

Independent academic

Use social media to create a digital community for international students

Students are already relying on social media to help them settle in when studying abroad, so why not harness its power for support services? Here are six ways to do so

Liubov Darzhinova

The Education University of Hong Kong

Young Asian woman concentrating working at laptop

Advice for protecting writing time and motivation

Social media, reading and the fragmented schedules of academia can all eat into precious writing time. Based on her experience supervising PhD students, Zhen Sun offers advice for supporting doctoral candidates to set and stick to a plan

Zhen Sun

Macau University of Science and Technology

Find purpose and identity in the ‘near-end’ season of an academic career

As careers near their later stages, familiar markers of achievement fade and professional identity shifts. Wendy Cowan and Bridgette Walker explore how academics can move from proving value to mentoring, shaping legacy and finding renewed purpose

Wendy Cowan, Bridgette Walker

Athens State University

Young black male students working outside on laptop

Using technology to support international students

From scalable email systems to database management, universities can leverage specialised technology to support the academic success and career readiness of their international students

Kate Kirk

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

Young university student in online meeting

Use early engagement to build belonging for international students

Connecting with international students well before they arrive on campus – and maintaining contact across joint and transnational programmes – helps universities to transform anxious newcomers into confident global citizens

Jennifer Clevenger

Virginia Tech

Young man looking stressed as his inbox explodes out of his screen

How to turn your most aggravating student emails into a chance to spread joy

Faced with a flurry of grade complaints at the end of each semester, Danny Oppenheimer found a way to respond that generated positivity for students and himself. Read on to find out what he did

Danny Oppenheimer

Carnegie Mellon University

Spotlight How to factor family into higher education

How to factor family into higher education

Practical advice for universities to support staff, faculty and students with parenting and caring responsibilities

Campus contributors, Eliza Compton

Campus

Maximise student satisfaction in creative education: part two

In the second part of this guide to achieving 100 per cent student satisfaction results in the National Student Survey, here’s why creating community and centring mental well-being made a difference

Kate Cotter , Elizabeth McLaughlin

University of the West of Scotland

Strategies to promote belonging from the first day of term – and beyond

Create a supportive learning environment for a sense of community among your students, by deploying strategies to lay the foundations and build on them

Multiple authors

Adelaide University

Connected classrooms: building belonging, trust and well-being

Learning communities that are grounded in trust, psychological safety and holistic support give students space to explore and share their talents

Christie Stewart

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

Why trauma-informed education could be a university’s smartest investment

Responding to struggling students with empathy and flexibility can benefit the whole campus. Here’s how to create a culture of compassion

Hind Lebdaoui

Al Akhawayn University

A teacher smiles as students raise their hands en masse

Maximise student satisfaction in creative education: part one

Disappointed with your National Student Survey satisfaction results? One teaching team turned theirs around with reflection and collaboration – here’s how

Kate Cotter , Elizabeth McLaughlin

University of the West of Scotland

Campus Talks: How to turn vulnerability into a teaching superpower

Authenticity and connection are key to supporting students in the classroom. This means it is important for educators to develop the skills to show up as their whole selves but also understand how to protect their boundaries

Marissa Edwards, Eliza Compton

The University of Queensland , Campus

How vertical tutoring builds community

Students on joint or interdisciplinary degrees often struggle to feel they truly belong. Vertical tutoring – a structured, cross-year peer support model – offers a solution

Owen Tomlinson, Mary O’Leary

The University of Exeter

A young man admiring a view from a bridge in Stockholm

How can we revive the popularity of exchanges and study trips? Make students feel safe

In the first of a five-part series on outbound student mobility, Lucas Lixinski looks at what care is due to students travelling overseas as part of their studies, and how this can incentivise or deter them from spending time in other countries

Lucas Lixinski

UNSW Sydney

A young academic plays a game on his phone while his co-worker naps on the desk

Don’t cry for me, academia: gamifying the early career experience

Wajeehah Aayeshah created the online card game Academic Tears to boost empathy for early career academics, and explored a new way of communicating research. Here’s how she did it

Wajeehah Aayeshah

University of Melbourne

How teachers become students’ growth partners in learning

Simple habits can transform students’ silence and hesitation into conversation and curiosity, making the university classroom a dynamic space for learning and growth

Yongjia Lin

Macau University of Science and Technology

An audience watching a man on stage in a theatre

Beyond overexposure: how academics can reclaim agency on LinkedIn

As LinkedIn shifts from online CV to personal branding stage, Jasmine Mohsen explores how scholars can reclaim agency, set boundaries and build sustainable digital identities without succumbing to overexposure

Jasmine Mohsen

SP Jain London School of Management

A guide to arts-based methods in medical research

Achieve a deeper understanding of human experiences by deploying the creative practices in research. Here’s how

Heather Spooner

University of Florida

Three students are supported by cupped hands in a classroom

Student support in the university classroom

Boost student success with advice on providing support that enables students flourish in their studies

Kiera O’Brien, Campus contributors

Campus

How technology can amplify connections in online classrooms

Technology does not replace human connection. Here's how thoughtfully designed digital practices can make student support more accessible and responsive

Bhawana Shrestha

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

What makes a classroom a community?

Community can be built on every course, deepening learning and improving the experience for everyone. Find out how

Melissa Jane Megan

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

The best way to market a university? Start with the students

University students can be lifelong brand ambassadors for their institution. To harness the power of word of mouth, create an environment where students feel they belong

Youssef Chetioui

Al Akhawayn University

Measuring the value of movement: how universities can capture the benefits of sport and physical activity

With robust, quantitative data, the higher education sector can show how its sporting activities and facilities contribute to both student and staff well-being and national health goals while strengthening the case for future investment

Phil Malatesta

University of Southampton

Three ways to turn students into active partners in their education

Create a supportive learning community with student co-creation. Here are three ways to help students take the reins

Anatoly Oleksiyenko, Weiyan Xiong, Jing Zhang

The Education University of Hong Kong

Sticky labels: why language shapes identity (and how to say better things)

The words we use in creative education – and the ones we don’t – shape how students see themselves. David Thompson explores how labels affect self-image and how university educators can shift language to build creative confidence

David Thompson

University of Lincoln

Medical students learn in a small session

Support medical students to form their identity as doctors

Develop well-rounded, people-focused medical professionals by focusing on soft skills, alongside clinical knowledge. Here’s how case-based learning can help

Anne Hickey

RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

How compassionate spaces support career development for graduate teaching assistants

Bringing GTAs together in a safe space not only develops career identity, it fosters belonging, respect and care. Here, Kristy Campbell explains what a reading group offers those in the space between student and staff

Kristy Campbell

King’s College London

How can we model empathy in the classroom?

Curiosity, connection and communication are vital components of empathetic teaching, says Bhawana Shrestha. She explains how to make students feel safe, seen and supported

Bhawana Shrestha

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

An educator talks to international students

Tips to support international students’ mental health

Studying abroad may seem exciting, but many students can suffer from social isolation. Here’s how to offer support

Sarvenaz Safavi

Near East University

‘Universities need to be better prepared to handle anti-religious hate’

How can institutions navigate a landscape where some religious communities see equity, diversity and inclusion efforts as an essential safeguard, while others view these initiatives as an overreach?

Matthew J. Mayhew, Benjamin S. Selznick, Musbah Shaheen

The Ohio State University, James Madison University, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Students with their arms around each other from behind

Five ideas for fostering belonging and collaboration in the classroom

From ‘getting to know each other’ activities to outdoor learning and ongoing check-ins, Jamie Heywood offers strategies for creating a welcoming, collaborative classroom

Jamie Heywood

Anglia Ruskin University

Group of four smiling college students walking

A warm welcome is a strategic imperative for higher education

If we want incoming students to flourish, we must stop treating belonging as a bonus and start seeing it as an essential condition for learning. Scott Dunning offers strategies on welcoming students to succeed

Scott Dunning

Virginia Tech

Students and support staff work together round a laptop

Work with students for an inclusive university culture

Inviting students into the process of making your university campus a more inclusive place can be transformative. Here’s how

Dana Abiltayeva , Ayana Batyrbayeva

Nazarbayev University

Medical students in discussion around a table

Far from home, but not alone: peer mentoring to ease culture shock for international students

Upper-year student mentors can provide freshmen mentees with practical tools to settle into a new environment, manage their mental health, navigate the workload and stay grounded throughout their medical studies

Eden Friedman, Adrienne Stauder

Semmelweis University

Teacher guiding a student through an exercies on their laptop

Exercises to strengthen students’ socio-emotional skills

Simple, structured activities can strengthen students’ socio-emotional skills, from active listening to emotional regulation, helping them navigate academic and interpersonal challenges

Tatiana del Pilar Amado Castellanos

The University of Applied and Environmental Sciences (UDCA)

An illustration of a woman, her face obscured by a giant scribble

Diversify university mental health services beyond CBT

With the number of students experiencing mental health issues rising, CBT is being applied as a one-size-fits-all solution. Here’s how to branch out into other approaches

Ava Doherty

University of Oxford

Barbed wire and a security camera on a brick wall

What learning behind bars can teach us about the university classroom

A partnership with a prison helped one educator see her university teaching in a different light. Find out how

Sobia Razzaq

University of Westminster

Prevent overstimulation and support autistic students in the laboratory

Laboratory sessions can prompt overstimulation in autistic students. Here, one student outlines the challenges they’ve faced and what support has helped

Matthew Jones, Beth Crofts

University of Salford

Students chatting together at a table in class

Everyday strategies to build belonging and well-being

With a focus on emotional safety, connection and clear communication, these actions build belonging and support well-being across any discipline

Lauren Flannery

The University of East Anglia

Co-created research to boost a student mentoring scheme

A foundation mentoring scheme helped students widen their networks. But how to increase participation? Involving students in a co-creation research project provided the answer

Amy MacLatchy

University of Westminster

Young woman with a drill assembling a wooden bookcase

‘The arts and humanities celebrate what makes us human’

As deepfakes blur truth and political divides widen, the arts and humanities offer essential skills such as reflection and resilience. And, of course, they provide respite and balance. Patty Raun explains

Patricia Raun

Virginia Tech

Co-creation that treats students as collaborators, not consultants

When students believe their opinions matter, their creativity, confidence and sense of belonging grow – and so does the impact of your work. Here are five practical ways to bring students ‘behind the camera’ in co-curricular programme design

Melissa Gerrior, Jennifer Graham

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities, Georgia College and State University

Students sitting in a circle haveing a discussion with a teacher

Intervene with empathy to support students in need

With mental health challenges increasing on campus, structured tools that capture students’ thoughts, feelings and behaviours can help educators spot concerns early and tailor support

Eduardo de Jesús Faz Flores

Tecnológico de Monterrey

An academic listens attentively to a student

University students need emotional support as well as intellectual challenge

Empathetic teaching is about more than lectures and grades – it’s about helping the whole student grow. Find out how

M. Devendran Manogaran , Nor Adilla Rashidi

Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP)

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