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Education Sciences
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Addressing Mental Health and Well-Being in Higher Education: Insights from...
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Addressing Mental Health and Well-Being in Higher Education: Insights from Educational Psychology

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2025) | Viewed by 10852

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Nicola Byrom

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Guest Editor
Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, 16 De Crespingy Park, London SE5 8AB, UK
Interests: student mental health
Dr. Michael Priestley

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, 16 De Crespingy Park, London SE5 8AB, UK
Interests: student mental health
Dr. Hannah Slack

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, 16 De Crespingy Park, London SE5 8AB, UK
Interests: student mental health
Dr. Neil Armstrong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, 16 De Crespingy Park, London SE5 8AB, UK
Interests: student mental health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues:

Today, universities are changing how they approach mental health, embracing a more comprehensive, institution-wide strategy. This transformation is evident in initiatives like the University Mental Health Charter from Student Minds in the UK.

This approach recognizes that mental health is influenced by a multitude of societal and environmental factors. It goes beyond simple individual treatment and focuses on prevention and overall wellbeing, seeking to change the very culture of higher education institutions. What does this mean for the way we teach and interact with our students?

At least in principle, it indicates that every student connects with their teachers, curriculum, and assessment processes. Universities are obliged to ensure that their teaching methods are accessible to all students. This might involve providing alternative course materials, adjusting assessment methods, or accommodating different ways of attending classes. A truly inclusive approach to education requires curricula design to take a holistic view of learners and use evidence-based practices to support students' skills, confidence, and academic performance.

In this Special Edition, we wish to explore the research behind this approach—asking, how can education practices positively impact student mental health?

Topics might include, but are not limited to:

  • How effective are holistic interventions? Do they need to be embedded within the curriculum to be accessible?
  • How can initiatives be tailored to specific student needs, supporting inclusive approaches for neurodivergent students, students with disabilities, as well as students who may feel less comfortable in Higher Education?
  • What is the perspective of international students? Do they face unique challenges?
  • How do different pedagogic approaches, e.g., collaborative pedagogy, problem-based pedagogy, impact student wellbeing?
  • What are the interactions between curricula design, cognitive load, workload, and wellbeing?
  • Do different assessment types impact student wellbeing? Are some more beneficial than others and if so why/ not?
  • What are student expectations of academic staff and the dynamics of that relationship?

Dr. Nicola Byrom
Dr. Michael Priestley
Dr. Hannah Slack
Dr. Neil Armstrong
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • student mental health
  • inclusive curriculum
  • neurodivergence
  • international students
  • collaborative pedagogy
  • problem-based pedagogy
  • workload and wellbeing

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 1123 KiB  
Article
Integrating Mental Health in Curriculum Design: Reflections from a Case Study in Sport, Exercise, and Health Science
by Jackie Hargreaves, Belinda Cooke and Jim McKenna
Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(5), 529; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15050529 - 25 Apr 2025
Viewed by 136
Abstract
The rise of mental health concerns in today’s Higher Education (HE) students is a growing concern. Integrating mental health principles into curricular design can enhance the student experience and improve outcomes such as continuation, completion, and success. This paper aims to integrate mental [...] Read more.
The rise of mental health concerns in today’s Higher Education (HE) students is a growing concern. Integrating mental health principles into curricular design can enhance the student experience and improve outcomes such as continuation, completion, and success. This paper aims to integrate mental health guidance into the design of a revalidated curriculum in sport, exercise, and health sciences. A further aim is to provide recommendations for future mentally healthy curricular design. A case study design exploring how mental health does, and might, feature across curricula was undertaken, employing a qualitative methodology. A range of stakeholders, including students, participated in workshops, interviews, and revalidation events over a 4-month period. The analysis and interpretation of the resulting transcripts proposed two main lines of action; ‘building students’ (centring on helping them navigate the nuances of the academic process and developing confidence in their university self, for example, through systematic scaffolding) and ‘building connections’ (focusing on enhancing social connections and psychological safety, for example learning student names). Recommendations proposed by this research highlight that induction should be primarily social, progressing to more fundamental skills, behaviours, and knowledge. Systematic scaffolding and mapping of relevant skills, behaviours, and knowledge throughout the course are fundamental to building students’ confidence. This could reduce both academic staff and students’ frustrations about a lack of ‘know-how’. Staff–student interactions and a focus on micro-behaviours could further enhance a student’s sense of belonging and desire to engage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Addressing Mental Health and Well-Being in Higher Education: Insights from Educational Psychology)
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21 pages, 453 KiB  
Article
Stretched at Both Ends: Pressure on Student Services and the Impact on Academic Staff at UK Universities
by Gareth Hughes, Michael Priestley and Leigh Spanner
Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(1), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15010013 - 26 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1724
Abstract
The role and responsibility of universities in supporting student mental health has been the subject of high-profile legal debate. Drawing on a thematic analysis of twelve semi-structured focus groups conducted during the Student Minds UK University Mental Health Charter consultations, this paper elucidates [...] Read more.
The role and responsibility of universities in supporting student mental health has been the subject of high-profile legal debate. Drawing on a thematic analysis of twelve semi-structured focus groups conducted during the Student Minds UK University Mental Health Charter consultations, this paper elucidates the experiences, perceptions, and practices of 75 staff working within student services to support student mental health, with the aim of clarifying the implications for role responsibilities within a whole university approach. Participants described being ‘stretched at both ends’ in response to a significant and ongoing increase both in overall demand and complexity of presentation, further compounded by capacity challenges in public mental health services. Despite the care and commitment of staff, these conditions compromise the effectiveness, safety, and accessibility of university services. As a result, students increasingly present with mental health challenges in academic settings, multiplying risk for themselves, their peers, academic staff, and their universities, whilst negatively impacting the learning process. Thus, precisely as sectoral debate around UK universities’ legal duty of care intensifies, the role and responsibility of university services and academic staff in relation to other institutional and external stakeholders is becoming increasingly indeterminate. Taken together, the findings demonstrate the imperative of clearer conceptualisation and investment in student services alongside closer working relationships with academic staff to ensure student success and safety, and to meet the principles of good practice in the University Mental Health Charter, as advocated by UK government. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Addressing Mental Health and Well-Being in Higher Education: Insights from Educational Psychology)
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12 pages, 249 KiB  
Article
The Effects of Social Identity Incompatibility on Student Mental Health
by Katie Harrold, Anne Kathrin Fett and Corinna Haenschel
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(12), 1407; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14121407 - 23 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1282
Abstract
Background: Students from ethnic minority backgrounds have been shown to be more vulnerable to developing mental health disorders compared to White British students. They have also been shown to experience greater social identity incompatibility; however, it is not yet clear if this may [...] Read more.
Background: Students from ethnic minority backgrounds have been shown to be more vulnerable to developing mental health disorders compared to White British students. They have also been shown to experience greater social identity incompatibility; however, it is not yet clear if this may explain some of the disparities in mental health. The aim of the current study was to investigate the relationship between social identity incompatibility and non-clinical generalised anxiety, depression and academic distress in students from ethnic minority backgrounds compared to White students. Methods: A total of 526 students from City St George’s, University of London, completed the Counselling Centre Assessment of Psychological Symptoms (CCAPS-62) and the student identity scale. Results: Results showed correlations between the measures of mental health and incompatibility across all students. Even though there were no significant group differences in the level of anxiety and depression, we found that the interaction between ethnic group and practical incompatibility predicted academic distress. Conclusions: The results may be specific to the multi-ethnic and cultural nature of this inner London city university, but they highlight the importance of practical incompatibility, in particular, in understanding student mental health across different ethnicities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Addressing Mental Health and Well-Being in Higher Education: Insights from Educational Psychology)
15 pages, 233 KiB  
Article
Mental Health and Mattering in UK University Students: A Comparison Between Continuing-Generation Students and First-Generation Students
by Donna Smith and Ros McLellan
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(12), 1317; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14121317 - 29 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1118
Abstract
The prevalence of poor mental health in university students is extremely concerning, and first-generation students (FGSs) may be more vulnerable to mental health problems than continuing-generation students (CGSs). Existing international research demonstrates that higher levels of mattering (how significant we feel we are [...] Read more.
The prevalence of poor mental health in university students is extremely concerning, and first-generation students (FGSs) may be more vulnerable to mental health problems than continuing-generation students (CGSs). Existing international research demonstrates that higher levels of mattering (how significant we feel we are to others) and lower levels of anti-mattering (how insignificant we feel we are to others) are associated with lower levels of mental health problems in university students, but this has not been investigated in the UK. This study aimed to investigate mental health problems and mattering in UK university students, comparing CGSs and FGSs. Students aged 18 or over from any university in the UK (N = 242; CGSs n = 124; FGSs n = 114) completed an online questionnaire containing measures of mental health problems (depression, eating concerns, substance use, generalised anxiety, frustration/anger, social anxiety, family distress, academic distress, total distress) and mattering (general mattering, anti-mattering, university mattering). The results showed that there were no statistically significant differences in levels of mental health problems and mattering between CGSs and FGSs. However, mattering appears to matter more for FGSs than CGSs: higher levels of mattering (general and university) and lower levels of anti-mattering were statistically significantly associated with lower levels of mental health problems for all students, but particularly for FGSs. The implications of these results are that mattering has potential as a basis for strategies and interventions to improve mental health in university students. Universities must consider how to increase mattering in their students, and more research in this area is urgently required. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Addressing Mental Health and Well-Being in Higher Education: Insights from Educational Psychology)
16 pages, 949 KiB  
Article
Inclusion or Isolation? Differential Student Experiences of Independent Learning and Wellbeing in Higher Education
by Susan J. Wilbraham, Emma Jones, Liz Brewster, Michael Priestley, Emma Broglia, Gareth Hughes and Leigh Spanner
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(3), 285; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14030285 - 7 Mar 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 5043
Abstract
Independent learning is frequently identified as instrumental to student success within higher education. Although there is a significant body of literature demonstrating the importance of independent learning for retention and progression, to date, the relationship between independent learning and student wellbeing within higher [...] Read more.
Independent learning is frequently identified as instrumental to student success within higher education. Although there is a significant body of literature demonstrating the importance of independent learning for retention and progression, to date, the relationship between independent learning and student wellbeing within higher education has been under-explored. This article addresses the gap in the literature by interrogating this relationship, with a particular emphasis on the barriers and enablers to independent learning and the implications for the wellbeing of university students as part of a whole university approach. Drawing on data from a large national student survey and nine focus groups with university staff conducted during the formulation of the University Mental Health Charter, the findings demonstrate important intersectionalities between independent learning and student wellbeing. In particular, they highlight that facilitating independent learning has the potential to allow students to flourish in higher education but only when factors relating to accessibility, inclusivity, expectations, and goals are explicitly addressed. Going forward, it is imperative that these links are more widely acknowledged and addressed within higher education research, policy, and practice to ensure that students are supported to develop as learners during both their transition into university and their journey through and beyond their studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Addressing Mental Health and Well-Being in Higher Education: Insights from Educational Psychology)
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