Student mental health is at the heart of today’s concerns in higher education. Indeed, the rising drop-out rates as well as the anxiety and depressive symptoms are increasing. Factors such as the pandemic have highlighted, reinforced and accelerated this issue. You will find in this article some tips to support and improve student mental health.

What Institutions Can Do 

• Develop and implement interventions promoting well-being and preventing mental illness to help cope with the stress of a changing society (digital revolution, climate change…);
• Implement evidence-based pedagogical practices for education professionals to foster mental health promotion in schools and / or via learning; 
• Encourage consultation during school time to educate students on topics like coping with change and to detect students at risk as early as possible; 
• Use technology to intervene before students become at-risk;
• Distribute educational material and launch campaigns targeting the most vulnerable groups (first-generation, minority students…) to improve health literacy, skills, attitudes and self-awareness;
• Communicate via the most appropriate and effective channels for your institution (printing posters and flyers, social media, internal platform, app, email…);
• Conduct studies on mental health within your school to know more about students’ well-being.

What Students Can Do

There are also behaviours and practices students can put in place in order to foster positive mental health: 

• Show empathy and compassion. Many students struggle with mental health. In 2005, 28.8% of students suffered anxiety disorders and 46.4% other  disorders. These issues strengthened with the pandemic, resulted in 30.6% of post-secondary students suffering elevated depression. Here are some of the things you can tell your students:  
• You are not alone
• During tough times, being understanding, empathetic and practising self-compassion can improve your mental health
• When friends and loved ones need support, there are ways to show them empathy and compassion, like listening to them without judgement and validating their feelings;
• Re-connect and get connected. It’s proven: we feel better when we feel supported. When facing mental health issues, talking to a friend, a peer or a family member can be of great help;
• Recognize when they are struggling. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness but of strength. It’s acknowledging where you’re at and accepting that you need a little push to deal with a tough situation. Encourage your students to reach out to an academic advisor or anyone they trust within their support system;
• Access available mental health services: promote the support you provide via all your available platforms and channels. Let your students know they can come to you;
• Practise self-care and do things you enjoy: to avoid stress, prevent burnout and improve their mood, students can try to incorporate self-care practices and leisure activities into their routine (e.g. playing sports, doing some yoga, reading a good book, participating in fun events…).

You want to deepen your knowledge on student mental health?