Irish colleges will have to embed the wellbeing and mental health of their students across their entire campus under a new guide published on Tuesday.
The revised National Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Framework, called Folláine le Chéile (Wellbeing Together), was launched by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) on Tuesday.
It commits to embedding the wellbeing of third-level students across the entire campus through institutional culture, policies and teaching.
The framework recognises feedback sought from students who told them they saw wellbeing as a foundation rather than an add-on to their success at college.
It references the vulnerability of students in the early stages of college, with over one third of first year students reporting that they considered leaving their course.
The report also references international evidence of deteriorating mental health among young adults, saying these challenges are “increasingly shaped by structural and socio-economic pressures, including financial insecurity, housing shortages, and the cost-of-living crisis”.
The student housing crisis is also referenced as one of the key drivers of reduced wellbeing.
The report referenced how students are often working part-time to fund their accommodation costs, while others face demanding commutes, all of which negatively impacts their college experience and their general wellbeing.
In an effort to address these difficulties and build on the original framework, first published in 2020, this revised guide streamlines the implementation actions and provides additional guidance to higher education institutions.
It has narrowed down the original nine themes into three – leading, learning and nurturing – and places a stronger emphasis on mental health promotion, wellbeing and prevention.
It also recognises the needs of all types of students, including those engaged in distance education and studying part-time, as well as those studying on-campus.
Senior leadership in third-level institutions will be responsible for setting the tone of the college’s wellbeing agenda, the framework says, prioritising strategy, funding and culture that supports the mental health of their students.
Academic staff are charged with promoting supporting environments, designing accessible curricula and guiding students to services when concerns arise.
Student services – from counselling to admissions, libraries and sport, among others – are also tasked with promoting wellbeing.
Colleges must develop data systems to monitor the efficacy of their student mental health strategies under the framework.
In a statement about the new framework, Ross Woods, senior manager for mental health and wellbeing at the HEA, said “feedback from students shows that while academic outcomes remain important to them, they see wellbeing as a foundation rather than an add-on to student success.
“In this context, the framework supports institutions to embed wellbeing within institutional culture, policies, teaching and learning, support services and external partnerships, all with the ultimate aim of enhancing the college experience and supporting student success.”