Curricular Approaches to Wellbeing in Higher Education

Concern for the increased levels of student mental ill health, mental distress and low wellbeing has been recognised nationally and internationally (Higher Education Authority, 2020; Worsley, Pennington & Corcoran, 2020; Thorley, 2017; USI, 2019), not least because it is known that three-quarters of all mental illnesses begin by the mid-20s (Kessler et al., 2005 as cited in Higher Education Authority, 2020). Poor mental health and wellbeing can affect students’ academic performance and desire to remain in higher education (Duffy et al., 2019). Against this backdrop, primary prevention and promotion of positive mental health is now widely accepted (Work Research Centre/LSE, 2017).
Hughes (2019) makes the case that the curriculum is the only guaranteed point of contact between a university and its students. As such, curricular approaches to wellbeing should be considered (Houghton & Anderson, 2017; Hill, Farrelly, Clarke & Cannon, 2020), while acknowledging that this is complex (Ecclestone, 2019). Staff (Hughes, Panjwani, Tulcida & Byrom, 2018) and students’ perspectives (Baik, Larcombe & Brooker, 2019) should inform such developments.

It is intended that the sharing of resources and information between HEIs, arising from this seminar, will lead to increased knowledge of curricular approaches to student wellbeing and in turn lead to improved mental health promotion and prevention across higher education.