Make good mental health a university priority
With poor mental health now rife across higher education, what can be done to create a supportive campus environment that strengthens well-being and resilience among university students and staff?
Higher education globally is facing a growing mental health crisis. While statistics vary, they all point to the same conclusion – that each year more students are suffering from poor mental health. More than half of UK students – 57 per cent – reported a mental health issue, with 27 per cent saying they had been diagnosed, according to a survey by Student Minds. And yet these psychological struggles are not confined to students, with academics and university staff also under unprecedented strain, leading to stress, loneliness and depression. Academics repeatedly report that the demands of their job mean they neglect personal needs. Universities must take action to support their academic communities, but how?
This spotlight guide brings together practical advice, research-informed strategies and lived experiences to support better mental health across higher education – from effective student support and teaching with compassion to personal strategies for academics and ways to create a culture of care across a whole institution.
Steps to help students manage mental health challenges
More than three-quarters of US university faculty report having had one-to-one conversations with students regarding mental health in the previous 12 months, surveys show. So academics need to be equipped to support students in need – whether through small supportive actions of their own or by directing students to other relevant services. But first, they need to recognise what level of help or guidance is required. These resources offer insight into providing the right student mental health support at the right time.
Building a culture of care to support students’ mental health: Mental health support is a community-wide concern, which includes easy-to-access counselling, staff awareness and training, an empathetic environment and community hubs, writes Amy Epperley of Virginia Tech.
What will it take to find a real solution for the student mental health crisis?Fixing the student mental health crisis will require systemic change, not just individual coping strategies. Here’s how to take action and foster a culture that puts well-being before academic achievement, from colleagues at Dubai Medical University.
How to help a student in mental health distress: Students are particularly vulnerable to mental health struggles, and exam time can be especially stressful. A team at Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) explain how to help in an emergency and how to offer long-term support.
How can we help students manage frustration and build resilience? Help students not to become discouraged by poor exam results by instilling a growth mindset, helping them plan their time and encouraging self-reflection, writes Agustina Ortelli of Universidad Austral.
How to know when students need mental health assistance: Academic institutions have a rare opportunity to intervene to help students with mental health challenges, but this requires support and training for staff and faculty, writes Amy Epperley of Virginia Tech.
How to combat the mental health crisis on campus: From staff training to nap pods and on-campus emotional support animals, universities have well-established and novel ways to help students to better mental health and well-being, as Jonathan Koppell of Montclair State University explains.
Coaching students in self-care lessons that will help them manage stress: From setting a consistent wake-up time to sound financial planning, there are many beneficial changes that you can encourage to help your students, writes Matthew L. Brown of Colorado State University Global.
Actions to protect well-being among academics and staff
Too often, when prioritising the needs of students, lecturers’ own mental health takes a back seat. Couple this with heavy workloads, research and teaching pressures and, for many, job precarity and it is unsurprising that stress and burnout are ever present in higher education. While root causes may be hard to address, there are ways for institutions and individuals to reduce the risk of spiralling anxiety and help academics set boundaries to protect their own and their colleagues’ well-being.
I’m finally ready to admit that I’m an academic who suffers from depression: I’m opening up because those of us hounded by mental health issues should not have to add fear of job loss and stigmatisation to our list of concerns, says James Derounian of the University of Bolton.
Let’s prioritise self-care for the benefit of everyone: Self-care can make us better at our jobs, support our students more effectively and help to build a better community across academia. Karina Dancza of Singapore Institute of Technology offers her tips on how to implement self-care in your professional life.
Emotionally challenging research and researcher well-being: Researchers who navigate emotionally challenging topics need support that includes well-being plans, advice on handling distress and risk assessment guidance, writes Tina Skinner of the University of Bath. Her work has led to a series of resources for universities.
Conversations around stress must move beyond ‘I’m fine, how are you?’ Sara Metz of Colorado State University Global offers practical advice on adopting the ‘stress continuum’ – a shared language and system to help staff and students reflect upon and discuss their well-being.
How to improve your well-being in higher education: Gareth Morris of the University of Nottingham Ningbo China considers the importance of well-being in HE and offers realistic suggestions on how this can be achieved by busy academics.
Peer mentoring to support staff well-being - lessons from a pilot: A peer mentoring scheme designed to support staff well-being is being piloted at Staffordshire University. Fiona Cust and Jessica Runacres share lessons on how the initiative has been developed.
Healthy boundaries for higher education professionals
For most academics and others in higher education, their job is a vocation. This results in passionate, committed staff who care deeply about their work, but it also means this work can all too easily bleed into all aspects of their lives. Hybrid models of working and digital communications has worsened this trend with many people now feeling unable to switch off. These resources offer pointers to help educators protect themselves from taking on too much, practically and emotionally, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
How to prevent compassion fatigue: Many educators experience compassion fatigue at some point in their careers. Prevent it by shifting your perspective, setting boundaries and building strong support networks, says Bhawana Shrestha of Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University.
Setting boundaries for teachers’ well-being: Practising self-care and saying no can help university educators manage the increasing demands of teaching and find a sustainable work-life balance, writes Cheong Fan of Macau University of Science and Technology.
Managing empathy fatigue as a teacher: While not technically in the job description, academic professionals often support students with recognising and working through mental health issues. Kshamta Sharma of Manipal Academy of Higher Education shares techniques to help these staff protect themselves from second hand stress.
Recognise work-life imbalance and restore resilience: How can academics stay energised and resilient? The first step, says Aaron Davis of the University of Washington, is take stock of those tasks and worries that deplete energy, then add activities that refill your cup.
What makes a caring university campus?
Embedding compassion into a university’s culture requires a human-centred approach. Discover ways to rethink communication and curricula and manage workloads in order to put people and their needs first.
Students learn better on caring campuses – here’s how to create one: Teaching the whole student and promoting authenticity will instil belonging on your campus and combat the social isolation that so many students face, says Kim Samuel of the University of Oxford.
How to make campuses and courses more compassionate: Telling students that you’ve considered their well-being in organisational culture and curriculum design can in itself bolster confidence, says Louise Lawrence of the University of Exeter.
Student communication - a compassionate approach: Compassionate student communication that ensures engagement is personal and unique to each student could enhance the university experience, writes James Gray of Kortext.
Building kindness into an institutional culture: Xueli Wang of University of Wisconsin–Madison offer advice on how to ground humanity in institutional practices, structures and policies to holistically support faculty and staff.
The sector’s mental health workers need help too: More assistance must be offered to help students survive, let alone thrive – and the same goes for student crisis interventionists like me, says Lula Torres of InsideTrack.
With an ‘epidemic’ of poor mental health, what can universities do to help?Practical guidance from De Montfort University’s Meredith Wilkinson on how institutions can support the growing number of staff experiencing challenges relating to mental health and well-being.
A focus on institutional mental health support systems
The extent of mental health challenges in higher education calls for collective action; institutions must take the lead in providing compassionate and inclusive support systems. Learn how to design and scale up services that cultivate well-being, how to train staff to offer the right support, and how to build resilience throughout your campus community.
Science-backed mental health techniques for students’ well-being: University students have long struggled with academic pressure, social media demands, economic challenges and career uncertainty. This technique from Erica Coates of Virginia Tech uses language and body awareness to help students cope and reset.
Tackling the campus mental health crisis has to be a team sport: Tackling the campus mental health crisis requires a collaborative approach with healthcare providers, student support professionals and educators working together, writes Ruth Bauer White of InsideTrack.
Why students and faculty alike need mental health first-aid training: Basic knowledge and skills could empower university communities to promote and destigmatise mental health issues and empower individuals to recognise risks and seek assistance, writes Noam Schimmel of the University of California, Berkeley.
How to scale up well-being and support services: With demand for student support services skyrocketing since the pandemic, how can universities address this need? Discover five ways to scale up from Kate Wigham of Loughborough University.
Four ways to make support for student well-being comprehensive and inclusive: Student well-being is made up of a complex array of elements that include physical, spiritual and emotional wellness as well as mental health. In this video, Luoluo Hong of Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities reflects on four ways institutions can make an impact.
Mental health support for international students - five key steps: Frank Haber explains what support mechanisms universities must put in place to protect international students’ mental health.
Higher education leadership that demonstrates compassion
Institutional culture starts at the top so university leaders must model compassion if they want to create a happy working environment. Here, learn about leading with empathy and care from two senior administrators.
How to support your staff during personal crises: A little-discussed aspect of leadership is how to support faculty and staff during times of trouble. Here, Helen Norris of Chapman University offers advice for making space and effective communication.
How to be an empathetic leader during times of change: No one style is the panacea for all leadership challenges but, as Rachel Gibson of the University of Adelaide explains, empathy is a crucial ingredient for leadership success.
Why empathy should sit at the heart of teaching
When teachers recognise students as individuals with unique experiences, they demonstrate empathy. Discover how else empathy manifests itself in the classroom and how educators can ensure students feel valued and heard, giving them the confidence to learn.
Show students you care: When you prioritise well-being, your students will thank you for it, writes Natalie K.D. Seedan of the University of the West Indies. Show kindness by taking steps to reduce cognitive load and create a welcoming and engaging learning environment.
Teaching with empathy - a practical guide for university educators: By making consistent efforts to understand and support students, university teachers create a learning environment where they feel capable and appreciated, writes Dianne Stratton-Maher of the University of Southern Queensland.
A pedagogy of kindness - the cornerstone for student learning and wellness: Fiona Rawle of the University of Toronto Mississauga outlines a pedagogy founded on human connection, care and compassion that improves student learning outcomes.
What does empathy look like in the classroom? How to demonstrate empathy for students – and self – to improve classroom interactions and ensure equity, explained by Neha Wadhwa of Manipal Academy of Higher Education.
Using empathy in the classroom can have a great impact on learning: Instructors can take many small steps to make their classrooms a more enjoyable and positive space for students, colleagues at Monterrey Institute of Technology explain.
Teaching from the heart in 13 steps: Engaging your students through empathy requires teachers to share their own stories and vulnerabilities and foster a safe space for learning. Here, Beiting He of Macau University of Science and Technology offers 13 ways to create a caring classroom.
Trauma-informed practices in higher education
Find out what is meant by “trauma” and its effects so that you can apply this knowledge in your work with students, academics and staff colleagues. These resources unpick different types of trauma so that trauma-informed practice can be more effectively embedded into university structures, cultures and curricula.
Trauma-informed care within academic settings: As awareness of trauma and its effects on individuals grows, Imogen Varle of De Montfort University delves into what it means to be trauma-informed, and how its five principles could look within an academic setting.
What trauma-informed practice is not: Before trauma-informed care can be the norm across all areas of the university, academic and professional staff need to understand what it is. Here, three academics from the University of Southern Queensland debunk myths and demystify best practice.
Knowledge and approaches needed for trauma-informed teaching: What steps can be taken to minimise trauma in the classroom? Marc Mason of the University of Westminster explains how it works and presents itself.
A trauma-sensitive approach to teaching and learning: A four-step framework for taking a trauma-sensitive approach to teaching in universities, explained by Kitty Wheater of the University of Edinburgh.
Thank you to all who contributed their expertise and insight to this guide.
If you’d like advice and insight from academics and university staff delivered direct to your inbox each week, sign up for the Campus newsletter.
