In recent years the UK higher education sector has paid closer attention to addressing students’ mental wellbeing.
Young people in the UK are reporting record-low levels of mental health, with university students reporting a disproportionately lower sense of personal wellbeing than the wider population. At the same time, higher education institutions are experiencing an engagement crisis, with over a quarter of students not attending any in person teaching.
Poor student wellbeing and low engagement are almost certainly linked. Young people are navigating one of the most turbulent periods in living memory. And at university we expect our students to not just survive this turbulence, but to thrive. To thrive in the volatility of the next 20 years, helping our students learn resilience and capabilities is as important as disciplinary knowledge.
