Healthy Campuses

The University of Notre Dame Australia has expanded its approach to student wellbeing through the Sonder app, providing students with access to mental health, wellbeing and safety support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  Nearly 1,000 students have been actively using the platform since its launch across campuses in 2025, complementing the university’s […]

Harmful alcohol use among university students can intersect with other behaviours that increase health risks, including sexual risk-taking. Led by the University of Southern Queensland, researchers analysed data from 3,325 sexually active students studying at Australian universities to examine patterns of alcohol use and sexual risk-taking among Australian-born domestic, overseas-born domestic and international students. Australian-born […]

Many university students experiencing mental ill-health do not access available support, creating a gap between service need and use. Researchers from The University of Melbourne analysed 4,375 Australian university students with probable depression and/or anxiety to examine awareness and use of mental health services. Compared with domestic students, international students had substantially higher odds of […]

Food insecurity is an increasing concern for university students, with potential consequences extending beyond nutrition to mental health and eating behaviours. Researchers from the University of Wollongong and collaborating institutions surveyed 348 Australian university students to examine relationships between food insecurity, psychological distress and disordered eating risk. Almost two-thirds (63%) experienced some level of food […]

University students with disability can face additional barriers to maintaining their health, wellbeing and academic success, highlighting the importance of accessible and inclusive university support. Queensland University of Technology interviewed 31 students with disability about their experiences and preferences for health and wellbeing support. Students described challenges balancing study, health and everyday life, with 74% […]

Forty-seven university representatives from Australia, New Zealand and Fiji came together on Tuesday 22 September for the latest UniSport Healthy Campus Community of Practice (CoP), focused on the role of physical activity and sport in supporting healthy campus environments.  The CoP sessions bring FISU Healthy Campus members together to share approaches and practical examples to implement Healthy Campus criteria on campus.  This session covered criteria […]

RMIT University has achieved FISU Healthy Campus accreditation, recognising the range of work underway to support student health and wellbeing across the university.  RMIT became a signatory to the FISU Healthy Campus Program in 2025 and achieved accreditation after meeting 40 criteria across six domains: Healthy Campus Management, Physical Activity and Sport, Nutrition, Disease Prevention, […]

Depression, anxiety and stress are common among university students, highlighting the need for accessible strategies that support mental health alongside existing services. Researchers conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis of 25 international randomised controlled trials involving 2,127 university students to compare different forms of exercise. Overall, exercise significantly reduced symptoms of depression, anxiety and […]

Growing demand for student mental health support often exceeds the capacity of traditional university services. Researchers from UNSW Sydney’s Black Dog Institute evaluated the ‘Vibe Up’ program with 1,282 Australian university students experiencing psychological distress. After an initial monitoring phase, students received brief smartphone‑based interventions focused on physical activity, sleep, mindfulness or symptom tracking. Across […]

University students experiencing mental health challenges may benefit from physical activity, but structured exercise programs remain underused within university mental health services. The University of Western Australia examined 93 students participating in ‘Stride’, a 12-week, on-campus exercise program for students experiencing mental distress. Students were referred through university support services or health professionals and participated […]