Mental health and wellbeing of students in Australian higher education: An inclusive analysis of current trends, interventions and best practices
1.30-2.00pm
Dr Asha Thomas, University of Melbourne
In the last couple of years student mental health has emerged as a critical public health concern in Australian higher education system due to the increasing prevalence of psychological distress among both domestic and international students. Studies have also reported that the COVID 19 pandemic has significantly intensified the existing mental health challenges, leading to unprecedented demands in universities for various support services. Recent statistics of Australian Bureau revealed alarming figures of more than 38 percent of people aged between 16 and 24 years had reported a case of at least 12-month mental disorder, representing the highest prevalence across all age groups. This research has examined the current trends in the student mental health in Australian universities. It analyses the effectiveness of existing support interventions and identifies the evidence-based best practices for promoting student wellbeing within the Australian higher education landscape. The evaluation also includes steps for understanding the demographic disparities, service utilisation patterns and institutional responses to the elevated mental health crisis.
Researcher had conducted a comprehensive analysis of various published data including Australian Bureau of Statistics National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing (2020-22), Australian mental health frameworks for universities, peer-reviewed research publications, reports from headspace university support programs and government policy documents. The researcher had employed a systematic secondary data analysis with a convergent mixed-methods approach. The study was guided by a socio-ecological framework and recognised mental health as influenced by individual, interpersonal, institutional, community and policy-level factors. Data were synthesised using narrative synthesis due to the heterogeneity in measurement instruments, population samples and study designs. Researcher had extracted point estimates and confidence intervals, with particular attention to demographic subgroup analysis.
Results revealed alarming prevalence rates of mental health difficulties among Australian university students. Factors that significantly affected student wellbeing were loneliness/isolation, work/financial difficulties and discrimination/safety concerns. It was observed that while universities have implemented various support frameworks and services, significant gaps still exist in meeting student needs. The evidence of this research supports a whole-university approach that integrate mental health considerations across all aspects of student experience, as it is outlined in Australian University Mental Health Framework. This research is expected to address the critical gaps in understanding of student mental health in Australian higher education system by providing comprehensive synthesis of national prevalence data, longitudinal Covid-19 impact studies and the intervention effectiveness across diverse institutional contexts. The outcome of this research is expected to extend across theoretical, practical and policy domains, offering substantial benefits to diverse stakeholders.