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.

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)

What can university lecturers do to ease students’ exam anxiety?

Exam stress in all its forms will be familiar to most university lecturers. What is less discussed is how educators’ awareness can ease students’ nerves and lead to better outcomes

Melinda Cserép

Semmelweis University

A smiling woman holds a red, heart-shaped helium balloon

Higher education needs to hold students' hearts, not hands

During times of financial constraint, don’t rush to define kindness to students as an unaffordable luxury. Instead, let’s change the way we think

Rachelle McKay

Dalhousie University

A group of students discussing something on an iPad

Stop asking students to be the lesson and focus on choice and consent

When students are asked to share personal stories to illustrate lessons, the emotional cost can outweigh the educational gain. Aasiya Satia explores how consent-based pedagogy can create safer, more equitable classrooms for all students

Aasiya Satia

McMaster University

A student talks intently to an out-of-focus lecturer

Empower LBGTQ+ people to be their authentic selves on campus with Rainbow Office Hours

A simple, low-cost idea helped one university campus become a more welcoming space for members of the LGBTQ+ community. Here’s how it worked

Rafael Henry-Venson, Emily Nordmann

University of Glasgow

One student comforts another with a hand on the shoulder

Support students’ mental health with bespoke workshops

With mental health concerns and student suicide rates increasing, a partnership with St John Ambulance offered a practical way to support students to ask for help when they need it. Here’s how it worked

Lisa Simmons

Manchester Metropolitan University

How to help autistic students adjust to life on campus

With autistic students’ drop-out rate spiking, here’s how to help them ease into their university career, allow for neurodiversity-friendly socialising and reduce their anxiety with a furry friend

Tabitha Biller

De Montfort University

Campus webinar: the secrets of international student success

Four academics based in the UK and France discuss how universities can ensure international students fulfil their potential throughout and after their studies

Allan Atlee, Joanna Daaboul, Helen Galbraith, Felipe Koch

University of the Arts London, Université de Technologie de Compiègne, University of Chester, Université Paris-Est Créteil

An illustrated image depicting two groups of people arguing with each other headed by a leader holding a megaphone

Dealing with division: the polarised university

How can universities encourage respectful disagreement, empathy and compassion while handling sensitive topics with care and protecting academic freedom – keeping higher education open, inclusive and intellectually rigorous?

Campus contributors, Laura Duckett

Campus

Five tips for debating sensitive issues in the classroom – without losing control

Find out how to create a learning environment where controversial topics can be debated fairly and constructively, with these five tips

Hélène Thibault

Nazarbayev University

Compassion cuts through polarisation

Compassion, not empathy, is the emotion that will cut through group polarisation and motivate constructive intergroup dialogue in higher education. Training in mindfulness-based compassion meditation can be scaled at a relatively low barrier to entry

Rayne Bozeman

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

A student takes notes during a group Zoom call

How students really feel about collaborative tasks in online learning

Online learning often includes paired or group work, but research has found this can often provoke anxiety in students. Here’s how to listen to what they want and build the skill of collaboration

Poppy Gibson, Sagun Shrestha, Helena Staszkiewicz

The Open University

A teacher helping students with their work in class

From discomfort to dialogue: how to teach controversial topics with confidence

Teaching sensitive topics can be challenging, but with structure and openness, they can become powerful opportunities for learning

Craig Harper, Rebecca Lievesley

Nottingham Trent University

Show, not just say, that your institution is a place for everyone

Put belonging at the heart of your diversity and inclusion strategy. Here’s how a fund for inclusive projects put money and strategy behind words

Moni Akinsanya

Liverpool John Moores University

Embrace mistakes in your teaching and help your students learn from them

Incorporating mistakes into your teaching can be transformative. Here’s how to introduce the idea of failing to your students in a controlled environment

Özen Çatal

Near East University

How to motivate students and staff in higher education

Advice for faculty to find and maintain the motivation that they, and their students, need to progress in their work and learning

Campus contributors, Eliza Compton

Campus

Campus talks: why ‘grit’ and knowing when to say ‘no’ are vital skills in academia today

In this week’s podcast, two professors discuss the skills and characteristics needed to achieve long-term academic career success and fulfilment

Jeffrey McDonnell, Sarah Robinson

University of Saskatchewan, IÉSEG School of Management

Students raise their hands in a lecture hall

Seven strategies to fuel students’ motivation

Keep your students motivated – not just for one class, but across a whole term. Find out seven ways to build sustainable motivation in the classroom

Hanife Bensen Bostanci

Near East University

Ease student climate anxiety through nature and community

As climate anxiety grows among students, connecting with nature and building supportive communities nurture resilience, purpose and well-being, say Mireia Bes and Vivienne Kuh

Mireia Bes, Vivienne Kuh

The University of Bristol

A life ring flotation device being thrown in the air against a backdrop of column-flanked neoclassical building

An academic’s survival guide

Academia offers rich rewards but these sit alongside job insecurity, spiralling workloads and repeated rejection. This survival guide explores how scholars can navigate key challenges in order to find fulfilment in their academic careers

Laura Duckett, Campus contributors

Campus

Ozzy Osbourne star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Ozzy Osbourne taught me how to survive academia

The Prince of Darkness helped me to build a university career, writes Brittany Anne Carlson. Here, she offers five tips to help fellow educators and researchers stay aboard their own academic ‘crazy train’

Brittany Anne Carlson

Westminster College

A warm welcome for new students

Advice on how to roll out the welcome mat for the new intake, on campus and in the classroom

Kiera O’Brien, Campus contributors

Campus

Lessons for academics in resilience, persistence and coping with failure

Rejection is part of every academic journey, but that doesn’t make it easier to bear. Drawing from personal experiences, Bhawana Shrestha reflects on how shifting mindsets, embracing support and practising ‘gentle ambition’ helped her build resilience

Bhawana Shrestha

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

An unseen woman doing sums with a calculator

How university financial support teams can bolster student mental health

Universities must treat financial support as central to student well-being. By fostering open conversations and offering proactive, tailored guidance, institutions can ease financial stress, build resilience and improve the student experience

Ian Ashley

University of Chester

Spotlight guide: Make mental health a university priority

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?

Laura Duckett, Campus contributors

Campus

How to build unbreakable self-confidence: an academic’s guide

A strong foundation of professional self-confidence is crucial when treading the academic career path. Follow these five tips to cement yours

Ayten Erçoban Evren

Near East University

Multiracial group of three university students

How student feedback and planning shape a high-impact orientation programme

Orientation week should not be about institutional formality but about human connection, writes Anusha Nataru. An engaging, effective programme requires careful pacing, warmth and inbuilt capacity to respond to student feedback

Anusha Nataru

Aditya University

A person selling baked goods at a fundraising event

How community events can improve staff and student well-being

Regular, inclusive community events can play a vital role in improving mental health and well-being for both students and staff in higher education. Read about how simple, low-cost activities can foster connection, ease pressure and build a stronger university culture

Janine Wilkinson, Jean-Charles de Coriolis

The University of East Anglia

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