Research

University students, often seen as privileged, face significant physical and mental health issues, with a higher prevalence of psychological disorders compared to their community peers. This research on first-year Australian rural university students highlighted common health issues such as fatigue, anxiety, and depression. Despite most students having adequate access to medical and support services, concerns […]

Both face-to-face and online courses improve mental health literacy, reduce stigma, and increase intentions to help others with depressive symptoms. Read Deena Ashoorian, Kristy-Lee Albrecht, Casey Baxter, Erin Giftakis, Rhonda Clifford, Jayden Greenwell-Barnden and Tricia Wylde’s full research article Evaluation of Mental Health First Aid skills in an Australian university population here. Read Kathy S Bond, Anthony F Jorm, Betty A Kitchener and Nicola J Reavley’s […]

University students experience high rates of depression and anxiety, with levels higher than those of U.S. students. Risk factors include financial stress, lack of support, first-year status, body image issues, and study hours, with domestic students being more affected than international students. Depressive symptoms and stress were linked to unhealthy behaviours, such as skipping breakfast […]

University students face a heightened risk of psychological distress and mental health issues. This research identifies six coursework elements that significantly predict students’ well-being, accounting for more variance than financial or employment worries. The findings aim to help educators design curricula that mitigate distress and promote mental well-being. Larcombe, W., Baik, C., & Finch, S., […]

This research compares the mental health of undergraduate university students with their peers from ages 15 to 21. It concludes that students generally have better mental health, partly due to better parental mental health and socio-economic status. However, students’ mental health tends to decline just before major academic transitions, highlighting the importance of targeted mental […]

University students often face high rates of mental health issues, but many delay or avoid seeking help. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training on campus has been associated with a high level of knowledge, confidence, and application of mental health support skills among students and staff. This training has positively impacted their ability to assist […]

Fewer barriers to seeking help were observed at the university, emphasising the importance of addressing moods and socio-demographic barriers. Students have high mental health literacy but barriers exist to seeking professional help (e.g., perceived stigma with help-seeking). Read Arianne Reis’ research article Students as Leaders in Supporting well-being: Peer-to-peer health promotion in higher education here.

This research identifies six negative predictors of university students’ psychological wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic, which include White/European ethnicity, restriction stress, perceived worry about mental health, dietary changes, perceived sufficiency of distancing communication, and social isolation. Social isolation has the largest negative impact on students’ psychological wellbeing. Conversely, positive predictors include physical health status, emotional […]

For Australia to compete in the global economy, our university graduates need to be career-ready. This means they need to be flexible, adaptive and able to apply their technical skills to real-world situations. To support the acquisition of these skills, universities offer a broad range of opportunities for students to engage with the workforce while they undertake their degree.

A survey of 979 undergraduate and postgraduate international students at an Australian university found that most evaluated their physical and mental health positively. Few students reported engaging in health-related risk practices, and there was little change in health behaviours since arriving in Australia. The study suggests that most international students do not find studying overseas […]