Evaluating impact: How evidence is reshaping student wellbeing interventions

Kristenn: Hi everyone, and welcome back to the psychology of university students, episode 4, and today is all about wellbeing in universities! I’m Kristenn, a second-year psychology PhD student, and a student advisor on the well-being evaluation project that we will be discussing in this podcast.

Jodie: And I’m Jodie. I have just finished my Master’s in Psychological Research Methods, and I am also a Student Advisor on this project. We’re really excited to have you with us today.

Kristenn: Yes, we are. Before we dive into the details of the project, it’s important to talk about the current state of wellbeing research within universities.

Jodie: Yeah, there seems to be a lot going on, but also nothing at all.

Kristenn: You’re right. There isn’t much research on wellbeing interventions in general, as mental health and therapy services have been more of a focus till recently.

Jodie: Oh, okay. So, wellbeing hasn’t been much of a focus point. It’s interesting, actually, because these terms, ‘wellbeing’ and ‘mental health’, are used quite a lot these days and in different spaces.

Kristenn: Yes, they are often used interchangeably as if they are viewed the same, mixed together, which adds to the confusion.

Jodie: Yeah, that’s not ideal. Since it’s important to be able to distinguish them, and our listeners may not be as familiar with the terms, what are the differences between wellbeing and mental health?

Kristenn: Right. So, wellbeing is a broad concept that includes mental, physical, and social health. It’s about being able to use one’s abilities across all these areas to live fully and flourish. For students, wellbeing also includes meaningful engagement in academic learning, which plays an important role in their overall wellbeing.

Jodie: Yeah, that makes sense.

Kristenn: Whereas mental health is a bit broader. It’s a spectrum that ranges from good mental health to mental illness. Good mental health means more than the absence of illness. It’s about having emotional balance, positive thoughts and behaviours, being able to cope with challenges, and contributing to community life. Poor mental health or mental illness, on the other hand, involves distressing thoughts, feelings, or behaviours that reduce daily functioning and may require clinical support.

Jodie: So, difficulties with wellbeing can sometimes grow into more serious mental health difficulties if they’re left unaddressed?

Kristenn: If left unmanaged, ongoing well-being difficulties can manifest into mental health difficulties. However, it’s important to note you can have mental health difficulties with good well-being, and bad well-being with good mental health.

Jodie: And of course, the two are connected; supporting mental health can improve wellbeing, and boosting wellbeing can help protect mental health. But, how does the support for them differ?

Kristenn: That’s such an important question. Wellbeing interventions are often the first line of support and can even be seen as a preventive or ‘early step’ approach. Mental health services, on the other hand, usually involve counselling or therapy with a more specific focus.

Jodie: So, wellbeing interventions are more generalised and flexible, whereas mental health interventions can be more structured and targeted, good to know.

Kristenn: Now, going back to the aim of this episode, the evidence base is limited as wellbeing interventions in general are relatively new compared to research around mental health and therapy services. This is a gap TASO, which stands for ‘Transforming Access and Student Outcomes’, recognised and set out to contribute to the evidence base. They did this by commissioning funding the evaluation of three new wellbeing interventions being delivered in different universities. In this episode, we’re going to talk about these interventions and share insights about the evaluations findings across all three.

Jodie: Exactly. Today, we will focus on three student wellbeing interventions in higher education, currently being delivered and evaluated. We want to give you an overview of what each intervention set out to do, how they did it, what worked well, and what challenges came up along the way.

Kristenn: Before we dive into the details, we’d like to acknowledge everyone who made this project possible.

Jodie: Absolutely. So, we have already mentioned TASO being the funder of this project. We also have IPSOS, which evaluated the interventions. Alongside this, we had Dr Emma Broglia at the University of Sheffield, who led on embedding student voice into the evaluation. You can check out the description of the podcast for links to all the different partners to learn more about them.

Kristenn: Plus, we had six brilliant student advisors across the different universities contributing throughout, including both of us. Our student advisors, apart from ourselves, are Ruichen, Audrey, Ty and Flic. They have led several other outputs from the project, including blogs that you will find a link to in the description as well. To note, when we refer to the ‘student advisors’ and their insights in this podcast, we’re talking specifically about their contributions and not our own. They’ve shared thoughtful reflections on the project’s early findings, which we’ll be referring to throughout this discussion.

Jodie: Yeah, it’s really been a collaborative effort across multiple universities, agencies, and students, which has made the findings even more interesting! Now, we need to clarify that what we’re discussing today are not the final findings, but prieiminary insights from the qualitative data collected, as the final analysis is still undergoing. Make sure to keep an eye on the links in the description to see how the project develops!

Kristenn: Exactly. Now, with that in mind, given that we’ve clarified what we mean by wellbeing and mental health, the rationale for the study, and mentioned the collaborators, let’s talk about the aims of the project.

Jodie: Yeah, Kristenn, can you give us the overview?

Kristenn: Sure! The project had two main aims. First, to understand three key wellbeing interventions and how they work. Also, it aims to critically evaluate their strengths and weaknesses.

Jodie: That makes sense, it’s about seeing what works, what could be better, and how everything can fit together more smoothly. The evaluation used what’s called a quasi-experimental design, or QED. That basically means we were able to compare groups who took part in wellbeing interventions with those who didn’t, which helps us understand whether the changes we saw were linked to the interventions themselves.

Kristenn: And what I really like is that it wasn’t just about the numbers. The team carried out interviews and focus groups, which gave us rich, personal insights into students’ experiences. And on top of that, we had our independent student advisory group, who weren’t involved in collecting the data, so they could give us their honest, outside perspectives. We’ll be giving our own honest perspective for each intervention in this episode, as we go along, so stay tuned for that.

Jodie: Definitely, our added perspective might help widen the discussion! Finally, although some of these wellbeing interventions were pilot studies, one of the real strengths of the evaluation is how comprehensive it was, using multiple methods, bringing in student voices, and balancing both quantitative and qualitative evidence, meaning the hard numbers and the written feedback were both considered.

Kristenn: Exactly. So, Jodie, let’s kick off with the first intervention, shall we? What did we learn from it?

Jodie: Our first intervention to talk about today is the ‘ Wellbeing Workshops’.

Kristenn: Sounds fun! It’s nice to see universities incorporating the academic approach of workshops on a wider scale, but what was the aim of these workshops?

Jodie: These workshops are aimed at increasing students’ self-awareness of wellbeing challenges they may face throughout their time at university, and equip skills and strategies to deal with such problems, as well as signposting students to further University resources. Interestingly, they were delivered to cohorts of students from 1st years to postgrads across different academic departments, with department leads ‘booking in’ workshops covering topics they believed to be most relevant to their students.

Kristenn: Sounds great, it’s nice to hear of a service so dedicated to getting students thinking, talking, and learning about wellbeing. But, it also seems like a lot to cover! How did the workshops tackle this?

Jodie: Good point. Typically, workshop leaders would deliver a set topic such as: Wellbeing action planning, study planning, resilience, stress management and social support, to name a few. There was some leeway for the department and workshop leaders to help tailor it, but overall, it was pretty generalised, as the workshops were intended to be a first touch on wellbeing, giving a broad impression using little resources.

Kristenn: It sounds like there is some flexibility in the service, but still an overall quite standardised approach, I’d say. What did the students and our student advisors think of this?

Jodie: There were mixed opinions and a lot of scepticism by students and student advisors alike. Despite the intervention aiming to have a personalised approach for specific academic cohorts, the student advisors identified possible concerns that the widespread dissemination method would lead to it being overly generalised. After all, whilst the workshop content is tailored to the needs of the cohort, that does not mean it is tailored to the needs of each student.

Kristenn: That’s very true, but a standard approach should still offer benefits to some students, I’m assuming. Did this seem to be the case?

Jodie: Well, we don’t have the findings from the QED just yet, so it’s a little early to say – but based on the interviews, focus groups and some other information about delivery: intervention attendance varied a lot across different sessions and departments, and feedback reflected that non-mandatory workshops simply aren’t a priority in students’ busy schedules. Also, some of the staff and students interviewed believed that students who struggle the most with uni attendance were also the least likely to attend the workshops.

Kristenn: I can understand that, especially when students are not certain if the workshop content will even be relevant for them. Plus, the student advisors had an interesting reflection which they described as having competing priorities when it comes to putting time towards wellbeing or academic requirements and seeing the two in opposition rather than feeling able to support both together.

Jodie: Exactly, and there were further concerns that even amongst students who did attend, whether they were meaningfully engaging or just technically attending but really just on their phones or using the time to complete coursework – both things I am definitely guilty of doing! And it also raises questions on how realistic it is to expect students to be able to reflect on their feelings and wellbeing in a rigid academic environment.

Kristenn: Oh, okay. How about the benefits?

Jodie: Well, this intervention was conducted in groups, and so, in theory, it facilitates students supporting one another, a unique benefit. One of the key findings from interviews so far was just how important that sense of connection, community, and belonging really is – not only for engagement in the workshops but also for fostering an environment that supports positive wellbeing on a university level. And the techniques taught within workshops were genuinely used by some of the interviewed students going forward. It seems that, in cases where the students found the content to be relevant and wanted to engage, it was a valuable intervention

Kristenn: It seems like quite a mixed bag of feedback then, but it’s good to know that some students were really able to benefit from it.

Jodie: Yes, in fact, despite our initial scepticism, the student advisors were pleasantly surprised at how well this intervention facilitated a widespread focus on wellbeing awareness and skills through minimal resources. But they do still note that the workshops are overly dependent on student time and engagement, academic department motivation, and the idea that entire cohorts of students are all dealing with the same issues.

Kristenn: So, do you have any pointers on how this intervention could become, maybe, more widely accepted?

Jodie: Firstly, the student advisors suggest that this intervention may benefit from being embedded into the curriculum with either mandatory attendance or a form of incentive to secure engagement, potentially through a certificate or even a grade for completing it.

Kristenn: That’s an interesting point, but it does raise concerns about the idea of students feeling that it is their wellbeing that is being graded. I think a certificate or other form of acknowledgement for participation would be great, especially for first-year students who may not be aware of how crucial maintaining wellbeing at university is. I certainly didn’t know back then!

Jodie: Exactly, and they could even put it on their CV as a marketable skill.

Kristenn: Good point, but how would it be best to then keep them engaged after they’ve walked through the door?

Jodie: Possibly by incorporating more interactive and discussion techniques will not only further that engagement but also strengthen the peer support this intervention uniquely offers. Also, holding the workshops outside of the typical academic setting, maybe even literally outdoors when the weather allows, may make students more able to reflect. So there are definitely some mixed feelings among our student advisors towards this intervention. But I’m curious, what do you think of it, Kristenn?

Kristenn: Whilst that sounds like a really valuable intervention, I think there’s still room to make it even stronger. I can also imagine it might not be accessible to every university student. For example, as an international student, I know that the academic pressure can feel even higher, which might make it harder to engage with these workshops. And on top of that, if you come from a cultural background where mental health or wellbeing is stigmatised, you might not be used to talking about difficulties in this kind of setting. That could leave some students feeling overwhelmed, uncomfortable, or even out of place.

Jodie: That makes a lot of sense, and the evaluation did identify a risk of some student communities, such as international students, possibly not being well served or represented by this intervention. I also feel that students who may be experiencing more serious stressors may not be fully supported by this intervention either.
However, it is worth noting that the workshops had singposting elements that were specifically used to assist students with more intensive needs to access other services so the workshops provided a gateway to alternative wellbeing services which is quite interesting. But, this was dependent on the student being engaged enough to learn of these alternative routes in the first place.

Kristenn: Yeah, I can see the workshops potentially acting as a gateway for some students, but I think this needs to be explored further because it’s not clear whether it would work in this way for students who feel stigma or shame in discussing wellbeing might , this intervention may not be as impactful, but may inform them of different types of support that will be more beneficial for them. Now, to take a step back, what did the student advisors conclude in terms of their perspectives on the intervention and the early qualitative findings?

Jodie: In terms of positives for the workshops, it has the benefits of being delivered on a large scale as a beginner’s guide to wellbeing and introduces core wellbeing principles across university cohorts. However, the student advisors felt that it cannot, in its current form at least, provide targeted and nuanced support on the complexities of an individual’s wellbeing, and it remains overly dependent on students being able to find the time and energy to engage. And although its use of signposting is really good, it could possibly do with strengthening to ensure it is actively engaging with the students who need it.

Kristenn: Yeah, that all makes sense. I’m keen to see how this intervention will develop.

Jodie: Now, Kristennn, I’d love to hear about the toolkit intervention. Could you share a bit about that?

Kristenn: Of course, the second intervention assessed was the wellbeing toolkit.

Jodie: Ouh, sounds interesting.

Kristenn: Yeah, it does. It aims to support student wellbeing and sense of belonging, particularly during transitions. By fostering an inclusive environment and giving staff tools and training, it aims to improve student engagement, retention, success, and satisfaction. It’s built on the Education for Mental Health Toolkit, which focuses on giving support step by step, helping students feel like they belong, providing practical help when they need it, supporting their growth as learners, and involving them in shaping their university experience.

Jodie: Wow, it seems like this could really ease the transition period, which is often such a tough time for students. But, who is the intervention aimed towards?

Kristenn: So, the intervention is mostly aimed at the first-year students transitioning into university life. It’s important to note that the transition to university is seen as quite a critical time for students beginning their studies, as they are more likely to develop wellbeing or mental health difficulties during that period.

Jodie: So, how was the intervention delivered?

Kristenn: The intervention was delivered via a digital platform, and students were told about it in lectures at the start of the year and also via a series of emails partway throughout the year. Some of the activities were focused on self-reflection, while others encouraged students to engage with their peers or the wider university environment. There were also co-creation events in person on the campus, which brought the activities to life.

Jodie: It sounds like the intervention was delivered in a lot of different ways!

Kristenn: Yes! One of the main positive reflections the student advisors made was that, as tailoring is student-led, it creates personalised support. This empowers students to develop their own action plans and gain a sense of achievement. And, the flexibility also allows them to engage at their own pace, whether more lightly or in greater depth.

Jodie: It’s great to see flexibility built in like that. I think that the choice and freedom it provides its users may be an added help when improving wellbeing, but these are just my thoughts. Are there any other benefits from the intervention?

Kristenn: Well, though it was optional at first, I believe their plans to make it a module will naturally integrate it into the curriculum.

Jodie: That sounds really positive. But why did the university feel the need to do this?

Kristenn: Well, based on the interviews and data about the emails sent, the biggest challenge has been student engagement; some students just didn’t engage. We wondered if this is because some students might struggle to get started or aren’t sure what to do, especially when they’re new to university.

Jodie: Yeah, I can see that; getting started can be tricky, especially in a new environment.

Kristenn: Exactly. There’s also a risk that if it’s not mandatory, students might see it as a low priority. And in some disciplines, it may be seen as less valuable because students just want to focus on their academic work and don’t really want to talk about their wellbeing.

Jodie: That makes sense; some fields really emphasise getting straight to the task, so wellbeing can easily take a back seat. I remember when I first started uni, I was so overwhelmed by the new environment, the social requirements and this whole new academic world that my own wellbeing was honestly the last thing on my mind.

Kristenn: Yeah, I felt the same, too. If the toolkit were to be mandatory, or at least had a real-world benefit such as employability skills, it would help universities emphasise to students that wellbeing is a priority on par with academic success. After all, students can’t even benefit from the personalised approach if they don’t read the emails or come with the mindset to participate. I believe a personalised approach makes things quite accessible, especially for someone like me who is neurodiverse with varying needs.

Jodie: That’s a great point, but universities will need to make sure everyone has equal access to the toolkit, especially if its use becomes mandatory. Take the online parts, for example, the intervention assumes all students have the tools to interact with it.
Now, while universities do provide computers for academic work, not every student owns a personal laptop to use the toolkit whenever and wherever they want. Some might only have reliable Wi-Fi when they’re on campus. It’s important to flag this because otherwise the toolkit could unintentionally widen mental health disparities between students from different socioeconomic backgrounds.

Kristenn: That’s very true and such an important point; it may be difficult for students to be able to engage with the resources in the resources in a public library, given the sensitive topic, although I suppose this is where the other parts of the toolkit, like the co-creation events, may help provide alternatives.

Jodie: Good point, and talking of student engagement with the toolkit, did the student advisors have any ideas or recommendations to help improve engagement?

Kristenn: Definitely. One suggestion is to have it contribute to the final grade, which could help motivate students. Although this would also have the risk of contributing to more academic pressure, which could worsen student wellbeing overall. So, I think their idea of introducing a 5-credit bearing module would encourage attendance without causing too much pressure on the students.

Jodie: I can see how that would boost engagement; everyone pays attention when something becomes mandatory.

Kristenn: Yes, they do. Also, in future, we think it will be important for the toolkit to be kept simple and easy to use. Simplifying the toolkit and providing templates for students to tailor could make quite a big difference. For example, this can be done by relying less on text-heavy outreach and making it more interactive, through the delivery of this new module, or possibly increasing face-to-face communication.

Jodie: Yeah, those sound like really practical solutions. It really sounds like a well-thought-out approach. I like that it’s student-led, flexible to their needs, and focuses on that tricky transition period that can really affect wellbeing.

Kristenn: I agree.

Now, onto our last, but definitely not least, intervention!

Jodie: Of course. The final intervention took a very different approach to the others by introducing the role of pastoral mentor.

Kristenn: Sounds serious. So, what is a pastoral mentor, and how do they help with student wellbeing?

Jodie: Well, a pastoral mentor is a dedicated member of staff represented in each academic department who reaches out and offers 1-to-1 support to students who appear to be struggling. Pastoral mentors are different to personal or academic tutors who are typically lecturers, and academic staff who may have pastoral responsibilities on top of their typical academic duties. The pastoral mentor is a dedicated role supporting students for non-academic concerns.

Kristenn: So, like a bridge between the academic and wellbeing departments of a typical uni?

Jodie: Yeah..

Kristenn: I think that would be a great idea, but how are they able to identify and talk to students who may be struggling?

Jodie: That’s a great question! Pastoral mentors monitor students’ engagement with their course by using data from the University’s VLE (also known as the virtual learning environment, used to support teaching and learning), and they get in contact with students who show disengagement for two weeks. Also, being based within the academic department makes them well situated for staff members to approach them if they have concerns over a specific student.

Kristenn: That sounds great, but what about the students who may be struggling, but not outwardly showing it? How do we stop them from being left behind?

Jodie: Students concerned about their own wellbeing can refer themselves to a pastoral mentor in the department for support, and even request that their mentor advise them of further wellbeing resources within the university.

Kristenn: This sounds like a great resource for students who may struggle to come forward about any wellbeing issues, or just don’t know who to talk to about them.

Jodie: That is the sentiment across the interviews; students and student advisors really praised this intervention for being proactive and taking wellbeing seriously.
They praised how it involved active outreach to students who may be struggling and appreciated the university’s forethought to prioritise communication.

Kristenn: I can see that this mentor will not only be a link between the student and the department, but also between the department and the wellbeing services.
As the mentors are situated within the academic department, I think they will have a well-rounded knowledge of the academic pressures the student may be experiencing at the time.

Jodie: Exactly. I think it will really help students from getting lost between services, but there are some valid concerns that it may also cause students to get lost between services. What I mean by that is, if the mentors are not trained sufficiently and consistently, they may cause more harm than good in some aspects.

Kristenn: That makes sense, consistency with training and practice would be crucial when introducing a new job role across the University, especially one that is so important to student wellbeing. Are there any other concerns raised by the student advisors based on the early evaluation findings?

Jodie: Yes, another key concern within this intervention was its use of data tracking.
Using engagement with the VLE as a measure for engagement with the course is flawed, as students may be attending but struggling, or vice versa. Also, using data tracking at all may worry students about how their data is being accessed and used, so this should be clearly addressed.

Kristenn: Yeah, universities should make it very clear how they plan to store and manage data. But student data tracking isn’t the only way for students to get access to pastoral mentor advice. What did the student advisors think of the communication with the pastoral mentor?

Jodie: Well, they identified that the booking system needs to be simple to use and that the mentor needs to have good availability in respect to student needs. They also reflected that communication via email is not the most practical method of outreach with students.

Kristenn: That’s true, maybe encouraging pastoral mentors to have a social media presence informing students of their services could help increase awareness?

Jodie: Good idea, I think that it would also be good for the pastoral mentors to ensure that students know exactly what their role is. I mean, I’ve had family emergencies and other unexpected circumstances where I was concerned I would have to miss a week or two or lectures, and it took me a while to figure out if I should be talking about it, or who I was even meant to be talking with. I think having one dedicated person to come to with these concerns would be beneficial.

Kristenn: I think it’s a great idea, but I guess the downside, there only being one or two mentors for the department, is the risk that if students do not feel comfortable talking to them, and if they feel like it’s not a good match, they may not feel able to express their concerns to anyone else. Ensuring that students feel comfortable sharing their struggles with this individual would be the first big hurdle, in my opinion. I think it’s a great idea that there are several mentors students can refer themselves to. But, I also think it’s important for the departments to make sure that there are pastoral mentors from diverse backgrounds to ensure that students feel comfortable sharing their experiences. For example, an international student may feel comfortable with someone from a similar background, or a first-generation student might feel more at ease with a mentor who also understands what it’s like to be the first in their family to go to university.

Jodie: Good point, I guess this is where the idea of comprehensive training comes back in, along with good representation.

Kristenn: Yeah, they should definitely be well-versed across the breadth of student experience, as well as the different gender, cultural and socio-economic struggles students may experience. So, what was the final verdict then?

Jodie: Overall, feedback from the interviews was pretty positive, and respondents really appreciated that the Universities were willing to invest resources into serving student wellbeing, and to work towards the students seen as at risk, instead of relying on those struggling to step forward.

Kristenn: Yeah, and that all sounds quite a great starting point. Now, as we said at the start of this podcast, the insights we’ve discussed today from the qualitative data are not the full findings, so make sure to check out the description for more up-to-date information.

Jodie: Yes. So, Kristenn, we’ve talked about a lot so far. Would you be able to give our listeners a recap on all we’ve discussed?

Kristenn: Of course, so today we have discussed three new and exciting wellbeing interventions being tested across the UK. Firstly, the wellbeing workshops aim to get students thinking and talking about wellbeing. Secondly, the toolkit helps students construct a flexible and personalised bank of resources to use when needed. And thirdly, the pastoral mentors provide one-to-one guidance for when a student needs that extra bit of support and advice.

Jodie: You know, I can’t help but think that in an ideal world, all of these interventions would be available at once?

Kristenn: I was thinking that too. And the student advisors across this project seem to agree! These interventions would form a perfect 3-step approach to all kinds of wellbeing needs. However, as they are, which one would you say is your favourite?

Jodie: I think my favourite is the pastoral mentor, just knowing that I’m being heard in my concerns helps me feel better, and some friendly advice from someone trained on these stressful situations would definitely help. How about you?

Kristenn: Personally, I think I would benefit from the toolkit the most, as there’s so much variety in the available resources. I can tailor it to any difficulties I’m facing, and it helps me prepare for stressors in advance. I guess it just goes to show that wellbeing is such a personal and nuanced thing, and it’s really lovely to see how universities are tackling the problem. Which leads us perfectly onto the next episode, actually.

Jodie: Totally. Make sure to tune into our next episode, where we talk more about the preliminary study findings and what this research may mean for students and Universities across the UK by mapping it onto the University Mental Health Charter.

Kristenn: And for now, we hope that you have enjoyed this episode and feel a bit more optimistic about the conversation of student wellbeing and what can be done to improve it. We want to give a final big thank you again to TASO, IPSOS, Dr. Broglia and our fellow student advisors for giving student wellbeing the attention it deserves. Thanks for listening.

Kristenn: Hi everyone, and welcome back to The Psychology of University Students, Episode 5. In our last episode, we explored student wellbeing, discussed the different interventions the student advisors evaluated as part of a research project funded by TASO, and talked about the aims of our study and the organisations supporting it.

Jodie: That’s right. Just to recap, the three interventions we looked at were: the a wellbeing toolkit, which helps students reflect on their wellbeing and create action plans; a  pastoral mentoring programme, which provides one-to-one guidance and support to students from trained mentors; and the wellbeing workshops, delivered by specialist staff to equip students with practical skills and strategies for maintaining wellbeing. In this episode, we want to take it a step further and explore how these interventions fit within the wider context of mental health and wellbeing at universities.

Kristenn:  In this episode, we’re focusing on how these interventions fit within the University Mental Health Charter, or UMHC. The Charter provides a framework for promoting mental health and wellbeing across universities and is organised into four main domains: Learn, Support, Work and Live. We’ll dive deeper into what each domain entails within this episode.

Jodie: But first, what is it? And why are we looking at a mental health charter to talk about wellbeing?

Kristenn: Well, the charter was developed by Student Minds in 2019, using a co-produced methodology that brought together students, staff, and sector experts. That’s important because it means the charter reflects the real experiences and needs of those in higher education, while also setting clear, evidence-based standards of care.

Jodie: Fascinating. Our study also involved students like us as student advisors to share views on how the different interventions might work or not work for students and to help shape the analysis and interpretation of the data collected. That feels really relevant, especially because, as we’ve said before, while there are national standards for supporting student mental health, universities’ approaches to wellbeing can be inconsistent.

Kristenn: Exactly. And that’s why mapping our study onto the charter is so important. It allows us to see where interventions align with best practice and where improvements could still be made.

This brings us to the big question: what does a mentally healthy university actually look like?,

Jodie: Well, according to Student Minds’ University Mental Health Charter (2019), a mentally healthy university is one that takes a whole-university approach. That means embedding wellbeing into every part of university life, from learning and teaching, to support services, training and resources, and to the overall culture and environment, so that both students and staff are able to thrive.

Kristenn: Exactly. And when that’s done well, it benefits everyone. Students are more engaged and resilient, and staff are more supported and able to do their best work.

Jodie: So, mapping these interventions onto the charter is really significant because universities currently take very different approaches to wellbeing. By linking our findings to the University mental health charter, we can highlight where interventions align with best practice and where improvements could potentially be made.

Kristenn: And in this episode, we’ll go through each domain in turn, exploring how the interventions we evaluated fit into the charter and what that means for students and staff alike.

Jodie: So, let’s get started with the first domain of the charter, which is ‘Learn’, shall we?

Kristenn, what does it involve?

Kristenn: Well, based on the charter, ‘Learn’ covers everything in the university learning environment that contributes to mental health, wellbeing, and academic success. The Learn domain includes three main themes: (1) Transition into university, (2) Learning, teaching and assessment, and (3) Progression.

Jodie: That sounds pretty comprehensive.

Kristenn: Yes, it is. What makes this domain so crucial is how central learning is to the student experience. The academic environment isn’t just about teaching content; it’s interwoven with wellbeing. Poorly designed assessment, unclear expectations, or a rough transition may cause students stress, reduce confidence, or lead to isolation. On the positive side, well-designed teaching, assessment and support can bolster students’ resilience, sense of belonging, and engagement.

Jodie: I like how it accounts for the journey into higher education, along with a student’s experience of different aspects within the whole University environment. How does this relate to our interventions?

Kristenn: So, when mapping the interventions to the Learn domain means we need to consider: (1) How does it support students during their transition?, (2) Does it help make teaching, learning, assessment practices more inclusive, fair, and transparent?, (3) Does it help students progress (academically, socially, psychologically) through their studies, especially during challenging or transitional phases?

Jodie: So, when we talk about good practice for supporting student transitions, the charter is really clear. It’s not just about a single event or a welcome week. It’s about a whole-university approach. How is this in terms of the ‘transition into university’ theme?

Kristenn: To begin, transition into university is how students are welcomed, oriented, and supported as they move from school or other settings into university life. Support should begin even before students apply, and then carry on through the application process, pre-entry, arrival, induction, and right through that crucial first year. And it’s not just about logistics. The aim is to actively promote wellbeing, build students’ confidence, help them feel academically integrated, and encourage those important social connections.

Jodie: Right. And for students who might face additional barriers, whether that’s because of background, circumstances, or other challenges, universities should provide specific, targeted support. The final piece is that universities need to keep monitoring and adapting their own practices, culture, and structures. That way, they’re not just helping individuals adjust, but also making the whole environment more accessible and inclusive for the entire student community. How do the interventions address this?

Kristenn: When we look at our interventions, most focus on teaching, learning, or general wellbeing support. But the  wellbeing toolkit is a bit different. It aims to focus on supporting the transition into university while also giving students practical tools to engage with their own wellbeing.

Jodie: How so?

Kristenn: The toolkit aims to prompt students to reflect on their wellbeing and create action plans, which may help them identify challenges early and also encourage them to take concrete steps to address them. In doing so, it aims to support engagement, retention, and academic success, all key parts of the Learn domain.

Jodie: So, it complements other interventions, because while many focus on teaching or social support, this one gives students the space and structure to actively manage their wellbeing themselves during that critical first year.

Kristenn: Exactly. It’s a practical way to embed the principles of the charter into the student experience, which aims to help students transition smoothly, feel supported, and build confidence in managing both their academic and personal wellbeing.

Jodie: Sounds like a great approach.

Kristenn: Moving on to the ‘learning, teaching, and assessment’ theme, the charter highlights a few key principles here as well. It’s about making sure the curriculum takes a holistic and inclusive view of learners, using evidence-based practice and structured support to build skills, confidence, and self-efficacy. The pace matters too. Students should be supported to develop knowledge and skills in a way that feels manageable and builds mastery, not just surface learning. Lastly, the way courses are designed and taught should actively support student wellbeing, not undermine it.

Jodie: Right. That also means clarifying the role of academics by guiding staff to support students appropriately, while keeping clear and healthy boundaries. And ensuring all staff in teaching and learning roles understand how their practice can positively influence student mental health and wellbeing. How do the interventions map onto this theme?

Kristenn: Well, starting with the toolkit, early insights from the student advisors highlighted a possible challenge: it would be tricky to integrate into the curriculum during the specific timeframe. Being an optional, extracurricular activity made it difficult to engage students. That said, it’s student-led and flexible, allowing learners to tailor it to their own needs, which aligns well with the Charter’s focus on supporting autonomy and self-efficacy.

Jodie: And the pastoral mentor intervention?

Kristenn: Pastoral mentors were situated in each academic department to provide the support that the academic staff weren’t able to provide themselves. One student shared that the mentor “probably stopped me from dropping out because in that first term I felt so alone and so worried.” That kind of targeted, supportive intervention really demonstrates the Charter principle of fostering wellbeing and confidence alongside learning.

Jodie: It’s reassuring to get such positive feedback. What about the wellbeing workshops?

Kristenn: For the workshops, timetabling them into the curriculum seemed to be a key facilitator for engaging students in discussions about wellbeing. Students interviewed said they found the content practical and useful, with some even noting they still refer back to the techniques afterwards. Based on early evaluation feedback, making these workshops mandatory in timetables rather than optional helps ensure alignment with the charter’s recommendations on inclusive and supportive teaching practice.

Jodie: It sounds like integrating well-being interventions into the curriculum was well-received by some students.

Kristenn: Yeah, now, let’s look at the ‘progression’ theme. This is all about helping students manage the many transitions they face during their university journey, moving between years or levels of study, for example. Students on placements or professional programmes often need extra preparation and targeted support, and those taking breaks in study also need help to smoothly return to their courses.

Jodie: That makes sense. And it’s not just about university life. Good practice supports students as they prepare for life, careers, or further study after graduation. Importantly, all of this support should be built into the university’s structures and curriculum, not just offered on an ad hoc basis.

Kristenn: When we look at the early insights from the evaluation and input from the Student Advisory Group, two key themes stand out. The first is engagement versus academic priority. Students often face a “central conflict” between deadlines and wellbeing. As one student advisor noted, “During busy times, even if I am stressed, I might not attend wellbeing workshops…”

Jodie: I agree, when I was busy with deadlines looming over me, my wellbeing took a back seat.

Kristenn: Yeah, it happens to many students. The second theme is integration into the curriculum. All three interventions aimed to improve academic outcomes, like retention and success, but the evaluation and advisory discussions highlighted that embedding wellbeing into the curriculum in a genuine, personalised way is crucial.

Jodie: Exactly. Both the timetabled workshops and pastoral mentors seemed pretty successful at being integrated into the academic landscape. Workshops were mostly mandatory in timetables, relevant, and flexible enough to meet a range of students’ needs. And pastoral mentors were linked to specific departments to offer support to students, including referrals from academic tutors. By contrast, the optional Toolkit intervention struggled to engage students because it wasn’t as fully integrated as planned.

Kristenn: That all sounds great, thanks, Jodie. Now moving onto our next domain, can you tell me a bit about what ‘support’ means in terms of the University Mental Health Charter?

Jodie: Of course. The charter prioritises universities offering accessible and effective support to their staff and students, and this is structured through ‘best practice’ principles organised under 4 themes: (1) ‘support services’, (2) ‘risk prevention’, (3) ‘external partnerships and pathways’ and (4) ‘information sharing’. It proposes that services should be able to effectively support all students with a range of needs and difficulties, and ensure they have proper oversight and resources to do so. It should also ensure that it has proper risk management protocols in place for users experiencing more severe troubles, including in the recognition and prevention of potential harm.

Kristenn: I see, it is clearly crucial for any service aiming to tackle mental health to make sure it is both rigorous and sensitive, but can you expand a bit more on the third theme, ‘external pathways’ and ‘information sharing’?

Jodie: The external pathway principles outline that Universities should liaise with internal resource providers and wider, non-university services (like the NHS) when needed, but ensure this is done through proper networks. Lastly, support services should be clear about where, how and why they may share details regarding a service user’s experiences, and respect the user’s autonomy whenever possible.

Kristenn: I can see that these themes and principles are very important areas that need to be considered when addressing support within the University Mental Health Charter framework. But our interventions today are tailored more towards wellbeing, so how did they link?

Jodie: Well, I think this is best demonstrated by the practice of Pastoral mentors intervention. The pastoral mentor intervention was developed with the idea of ‘proactive outreach’ in mind, in which it uses students’ engagement and attendance data to identify and contact students who may be struggling, instead of passively waiting for them to seek help themselves.

Kristenn: The idea of proactive outreach seems to be important to the staff and students, and I can see why. I also think that this intervention, being one-to-one, would also mean that the support will be personal and tailored to each student, which I would love. Would you say that the pastoral mentor intervention fulfils the support domain?

Jodie: Mainly, yes. But I think if we were to imagine the practical user experience, how often do you check your emails as a student? I hardly ever! The intervention is somewhat limited by how many people know about it, and so having multiple forms of communication might make it more accessible.

Kristenn: That makes sense. If the pastoral mentor is meant to bridge the gap between pastoral and academic services, it has to also be easier to access than the services. But if we can keep thinking about the idea of accessibility, I imagine that for students who may be struggling but do not want to get in contact with a clinical service, this would be a great middle-ground to get the support they need without the risk of being labelled.

Jodie: Yeah, that’s actually something our student advisors reflected on as well.

Kristenn: I see. Now, how about the toolkit intervention? I imagine it’ll have to consider the idea of support a bit differently, as it is more of a tool than a dedicated service.

Jodie: Yes, this intervention focused on making the support offered both accessible and constructive for each student by having each student tailor the activities to their own needs.

Kristenn: I really love this student-led approach. I think giving students agency in their help-seeking and well-being is not only more engaging but also empowering.

Jodie: Well, some of the students interviewed would agree with you there, and highlighted the information on helping them choose between wider support services in the University as particularly helpful. However, early insights found that only a small proportion of students appeared to engage with the toolkit so the self-led nature may have also been a barrier to other students, who may have found the idea of navigating the intervention daunting.

Kristenn: So, the agency that is offered to students can be both a positive and a negative, I guess. Developing clear guidance on how to use the toolkit, as well as encouraging students to familiarise themselves with it prior to needing to use it, would help prevent that. Now, lastly, how did the wellbeing workshops tackle the idea of support?

Jodie: The wellbeing workshops focused a lot on the ‘access’ and ‘pathways’ sub-themes within the support domain, intending to inform students about how and where to seek further help. Basically, these workshops CAN act as a gateway for students to approach the wider services within and outside the university through their signposting; however, the early insights do not provide this information.

Kristenn: That’s good, but how did the workshop educating students on other services work any better than a leaflet, email or webpage that could do the same thing?

Jodie: Well, students noted that the workshop facilitators were warm and approachable, which made the support feel more accessible and less overwhelming. Also, they provided tips and advice on how to manage wellbeing.

Kristenn: Well, it sounds like these interventions should definitely address the best practice of support through their accessibility and willingness to serve as pathways to other services. Though I can’t help but notice you haven’t discussed the risk prevention or information sharing aspects you mentioned earlier.

Jodie: Well, Kristenn, unfortunately, we can’t say much about this as we currently only have the initial insights from the data. However, all interventions aim to be preventative of further escalation of well-being/ mental health problems. So, when it comes to risk, we can theorise that the programmes will serve as an early intervention against the development of more serious mental health difficulties, and will be used in conjunction with more intensive treatments, which will be part of the psycho-education and onward referral that each intervention intends to provide.

Kristenn: And the information sharing theme? I think if the pastoral mentor intervention plans to access engagement and attendance data and refer to other services, then they would have to be very clear about how they plan to do so.

Jodie: Yes, the advisors did point out that any data access and checking will have to fall under a strict protocol, which should be shared with students, but we don’t yet have much understanding of what that is. However, while this is a potential concern with the pastoral mentor intervention, it is not as much of an issue with the toolkit and wellbeing workshops, as the toolkit is managed by the individual themselves and the workshops are attended by cohorts.

Kristenn: Considering that the interventions we are discussing today are all primarily support services, it’s fascinating that they fulfil the ‘support service’ domain in such different ways

Jodie: Yes, it does. Now unto our next charter domain.

Kristenn: Our next domain, ‘Work’, covers everything related to the staff working environment that contributes to mental health, wellbeing, and success. The ‘work’ domain includes two main themes: (1) staff wellbeing, and (2) staff development.

Jodie: Right – supporting staff wellbeing is just as important as supporting students.

Kristenn: So, when we evaluate our interventions, mapping it to the ‘Work’ domain means we need to consider: (1) How does it support staff wellbeing and mental health in their day-to-day roles? (2) Does it provide opportunities for professional development and skill-building? (3) Does it foster a supportive, inclusive, and sustainable working environment that enables staff to perform effectively while maintaining their wellbeing?

Jodie: Those are really important points! It ensures everyone involved in the interventions benefits. So, how do these interventions map onto staff wellbeing and development?

Kristenn: Let’s start with staff wellbeing. The toolkit was designed to give staff tools and training to better support students’ wellbeing and success. Early insights from the evaluation identified a key barrier, though: limited academic staff capacity. This highlighted that we can’t rely on staff to take on extra initiatives without considering wider contextual factors affecting staff and workload, and supporting staff wellbeing is essential.

Jodie: That makes sense. We wouldn’t want staff wellbeing to be affected when supporting students’ wellbeing. And the student advisors emphasised that staff in pastoral roles need their own supervision and support to prevent burnout or being overstretched.

Kristenn: Exactly. That links to staff development too. The pastoral mentor model could potentially improve staff wellbeing by shifting pastoral responsibilities away from academic tutors and allow staff to focus on developing their teaching practice and professional skills. This highlights that it is a clear example of an intervention that aims to support staff growth while safeguarding wellbeing.

Jodie: That sounds really reassuring that the universities are being mindful of everyone’s wellbeing. And the wellbeing workshops?

Kristenn: These workshops were delivered by specialist wellbeing staff, which again relieved academic staff of extra responsibilities. Emerging findings from the evaluation suggest that strong collaboration between academic and wellbeing teams was a key factor for success.  It highlights how cross-team partnership can support staff and ensure wellbeing interventions are sustainable.

Jodie: So overall, it seems like if universities invest in staff wellbeing and development, it can potentially benefit staff themselves, improve student support, and strengthen the wider university environment. Sounds like a win-win scenario for me.

Kristenn: It sure does! So, now onto our final domain, which the University Mental Health Charter has somewhat dramatically titled ‘Live!’. Jodie, what does ‘live’ mean within the framework?

Jodie: The Live section of the framework focuses on how mental health and wellbeing support should be integrated across a student’s life, organised across sub-themes of: ‘accommodation’, ‘environment’, ‘social belonging’ and ‘proactive intervention’.

Kristenn: So, everything outside the typical academic environment.

Jodie: Yeah, this means that their residential environment should be safe, and accommodation staff should be trained to support students’ needs. The wider physical space should be well maintained, safe, accessible, with plentiful social, educational and green spaces. The university community should be diverse and safe with active prevention of marginalisation, harassment and discrimination as well as support against loneliness. Lastly, the culture of the university community should actively encourage all members to prioritise health behaviours and facilitate open conversation about it.

Kristenn: That’s fascinating, and it is incredibly important to take a holistic approach to ‘support’, but it seems like a wide scope to be addressed by single interventions. How well did they map onto it?

Jodie: Well, given the aims of the interventions, the themes of university accommodation and the wider physical environment were not the focus of the interventions, and so while they are important and worth mentioning, we aren’t really able to discuss them further.  However, the early stages of the evaluation revealed that the toolkit and workshops in particular aimed to address the remaining themes of belonging and social environment well, but in very different ways.

Kristenn: Yeah, I can imagine the toolkit aligns well with the principles of belonging, as its primary purpose was to foster a sense of belonging among new students through reflection and co-creation events.

Jodie: Exactly, and several students interviewed reported this being successful. And for the workshops, it seemed like the group format and shared learning aims were intended to foster community, peer support and an overall more supportive culture around wellbeing.

Kristenn: That’s interesting, but I can’t help but notice that you’ve said ‘intended’ there. What do you mean by that?

Jodie: Well, early insights from the student advisors highlight that there’s a key balance when considering the size of workshop groups. For instance, large group sizes may prevent student engagement, and it’s possible that not all students would feel comfortable engaging or contributing to these larger discussions, especially if they are neurodiverse, from a marginalised background, or hold different cultural values.

Kristenn: Ah, I see. I’d actually prefer a smaller group myself, as I would otherwise be too overwhelmed. Bigger doesn’t always mean better, and you can still build a real sense of community, whether it’s a group of five or just one peer. How about the pastoral mentor intervention? I’d assume that its direct and more academic positioning must mean it addresses this domain very differently?

Jodie: You’re right. The pastoral mentors provided support within the student academic community. I think this is really interesting as I’ve found that as I’ve progressed through my University career, my academic community has become more and more part of my general day-to-day life, and so I think academic connections are very valuable.

Kristenn: That’s nice to hear

Jodie: Yeah, based on some of the interviews, the mentor-mentee connection really did help some students who were feeling alone, but in a very different way than the peer-support approach taken in the other interventions.

Kristenn: It’s fascinating how no two interventions approached this in the same way. So, Jodie, this has been another very fun but content-heavy episode. Are you able to give listeners a quick recap on all we’ve covered today?

Jodie: I’d love to. So today we have focused on discussing student-led evaluations on three new University wellbeing interventions being tested across the UK in relation to the core themes and principles of the University’s Mental Health Charter, a best practice guide on supporting the mental health and wellbeing of contemporary university students.

Kristenn: Exactly, and while no single intervention can tackle the enormity of this topic, they seek to address many of the key domains, and it is fascinating to consider how many paths we can take to support our students.

Jodie: I agree! But I have to ask, what intervention do you think aligns best with the University mental health charter principles?

Kristenn: I’d have to say I still really like the Toolkit intervention. What stands out to me is that it targets students right at that key transition stage into university, which means it offers support early on. That early focus makes it more preventative, rather than waiting until students are already struggling with their wellbeing or mental health. I also like that it’s student-led and flexible, meaning the students can tailor it to their own background, needs, and lifestyle. That adaptability is so important because it means the Toolkit can work for a wide range of students, rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.

Jodie: Yeah, that makes sense.

Kristenn: Given what we discussed, I felt it covered at least some parts of each domain, but it would be very interesting to see what the final evaluation findings say. What about you, Jodie?

Jodie: I agree with you! I think reflecting on my time making the podcast, I find it interesting that whilst the pastoral mentor intervention is my favourite in itself, I believe the toolkit has the best alignment with the charter principles. I wonder whether this could mean that what I find most helpful in terms of my own wellbeing may not be the same as what most students find.

Kristenn: Well, there’s no rule saying that it should be! As we’ve discussed today, looking across all the Mental Health Charter domains, some interventions clearly sought to address the aims in certain areas than others.

Jodie: You’re right. And whilst it’s too early to say for sure, the student advisors suggest that each intervention has different strengths, which I wouldn’t think of as a bad thing, as each student has different needs.

Kristenn: Great point, I’m also interested to see how the development of well-evidenced and well-received wellbeing interventions across Universities will impact the next edition of the Charter. As well as the attitudes and practices of Universities across the country, and maybe even further!

Jodie: Me too! Our understanding of mental health and wellbeing is constantly evolving, with approaches, interventions and needs evolving with the student population, which goes to show how important this research is.

Kristenn: Yeah, and these conversations would not be possible without the work of Dr Emma Broglia at The University of Sheffield and IPSOS, giving wellbeing interventions the attention they deserve, and the support of TASO. We don’t want to forget our brilliant fellow student advisors, Ruichen, Audrey, Ty and Flic, too. Lastly, we would like to thank the universities and all of their wellbeing support staff who deserve recognition for developing these interventions.

Jodie: Yes, a big thank you to all those who have made this possible. Now, I believe that is our time up, but we hope you have enjoyed listening to our podcast and that we may have given you some hope and ideas on how to reflect upon wellbeing. Thank you for listening.

Kristenn: Yes, thank you and goodbye!