Student and staff mental well-being in European higher education institutions : analytical report : executive summary.
Date: 2024-03-25
Institutions: Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture
Subjects: EU Member State, educational institution, higher education, mental health, mental illness, report, social well-being, student, teacher

Student and staff mental well-being 
in European higher education 
institutions 

Analytical report 

 
 
 
 
 
Please cite this publication as:  

Riva, E., Lister, K., and Jeglinska, W. (2023). Student and staff mental well-being in European higher education 
institutions,  Executive  summary,  NESET  report,  Luxembourg:  Publications  Office  of  the  European  Union.  doi: 
10.2766/146281.  

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AUTHORS: 

•  RIVA,  Elena,  Associate  Professor  (Reader),  Head  of 
Institute  for  Advanced  Teaching  and 

Department, 
Learning, University of Warwick, United Kingdom 

• 

• 

LISTER,  Kate,  Professor,  Associate  Dean  of  Equity, 
Inclusion,  Arden  University,  United 
Diversity  and 
Kingdom 

JEGLINSKA, Wiki, Projects Support Officer, University 
of Warwick, United Kingdom 

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STEWART-BROWN, Sarah, Professor of Public 

Health, University of Warwick, United Kingdom 

•  AVRAMOV, Dragana, NESET Scientific 

coordinator  

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•  NIXON, James, Freelance editor 

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Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture 
Directorate A — Policy Strategy and Evaluation 
Unit A.4 — Evidence-Based Policy and Evaluation 

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EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Student and staff mental well-
being in European higher 
education institutions 

edited by: Elena Riva, Kate Lister, Wiki Jeglinska 

2024 

EN 

Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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  STUDENT AND STAFF MENTAL WELL-BEING IN EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION 
INSTITUTIONS 

Executive Summary 

Context and rationale 

In recent years, the higher education sector in Europe (and internationally) has become 
increasingly  aware  of  –  and  concerned  about  –  the  declining  mental  health  and  well-
being  of  staff  and  students.  High-profile  media  attention  towards  student  mental  well-
being, together with increasing pressure from sectoral bodies urging care for the mental 
health and well-being of both staff and students  (Hughes  and Spanner, 2019; Office for 
Students,  2019),  has  made  universities  more  aware  than  ever  that  mental  well-being 
must  occupy  a  prominent  place  in  policy  and  strategy  (Hughes  and  Spanner,  2019; 
Universities  UK, 2020),  and has  placed it  high on  academic  research  agendas  (Hartrey, 
Denieffe  and  Wells,  2017).  Unsurprisingly,  research  has  shown  that  mental  health  and 
well-being can have a significant impact on the likelihood of students  achieving success 
in their studies (Richardson, 2015; Office for Students, 2019). It has also been shown to 
have significant impacts on the experiences of staff in academia (Smith and Ulus, 2020; 
Urbina-Garcia,  2020;  Shen  and  Slater,  2021).  Research  also  suggests  that  the  nature, 
culture, norms and practices of higher education institutions (HEIs) can negatively affect 
the mental health and well-being of both staff and students (Tinklin, Riddell and Wilson, 
2005;  Gilbert,  2016;  Ribeiro  et  al.,  2018;  Neves  and  Hillman,  2019;  Urbina-Garcia, 
2020; Lister, Seale and Douce, 2023). 

Prioritising interventions  to  prevent  and improve  the  poor  mental health  and  well-being 
of  staff  and  students  within  higher  education  communities  has  become  an  even  more 
acute  necessity  since  the  COVID-19  pandemic,  given  the  rising  rates  of  anxiety  and 
depression  in  the  population  in  general,  with  the  highest  rises  occurring  among  14-  to 
24-year-olds (Zhai and Du, 2020). Indeed, the Eurobarometer on Youth and Democracy 
in  the  European  Year  of  Youth  (Flash  Eurobarometer,  2022)  indicated  that  improving 
mental and physical well-being is  the fastest-growing priority for  many young people in 
the EU. 

Improving mental health and well-being requires a portfolio of approaches spanning from 
childhood  to  young  adulthood,  and  into  adulthood  (Otto  et  al.,  2021).  Thus,  promoting 
well-being in HEIs is a key pillar in such a portfolio, as university-based interventions can 
reach many young individuals. A student’s move to university is a high-risk period for the 
onset of poor mental health and well-being, as it coincides with a critical developmental 
period  and  involves  exposure  to  major  stressors  such  as  leaving  home,  academic 
pressures,  gaining  independence,  developing  new  friendships  and  managing  finances. 
Rightly,  university  student  mental  health  and  well-being  is  increasingly  seen  as  a 
concern.  Meanwhile,  as  demands  on  the  time  of  university  staff  for  the  purposes  of 
research, teaching, leadership and pastoral support have also increased, this  concern is 
mirrored by worries about staff well-being. 

The  NESET report  ‘The impact of  COVID-19 on  higher  education:  a review of  emerging 
evidence’  (Farnell  et  al.,  2021)  documents  the  novel  post-pandemic  challenges  to  the 
psychological and emotional well-being of students and staff alike, echoing other findings 
across  relevant  academic  literature.  I  addition,  students  and  staff  currently  face  many 
pressures,  including  financial  concerns  linked  to  the  cost-of-living  crisis,  as  well  as 
anxiety  related  to  future  employment  opportunities  (Johnson,  Bauman  and  Pociask, 
2019), given the uncertainty of the current political and economic climate. 

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STUDENT AND STAFF MENTAL WELL-BEING IN EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION 
INSTITUTIONS 

Objectives of the report 

This report reviews the international literature that explores mental health and well-being 
issues for staff and students in higher education, and looks at approaches at institutional 
and  national  levels  that  can  support  the  mental  health  and  well-being  of  university 
communities. It  presents  a  review  of  institutional  approaches,  with  a focus  on the  EU’s 
higher  education  sector,  highlighting  models  that  have  been  successfully  applied  within 
diverse  higher  education  contexts.  Lastly,  it  provides  a  set  of  recommendations  for 
improving  mental  health  and  well-being  of  students  and  staff  at  HEIs  across  the  EU 
through the implementation of holistic, whole-institution approaches. 

Language and terminology 

The  term  ‘mental  well-being’  is  used  throughout  this  report  to  describe  the  positive 
aspects of mental health, whereas the term ‘mental health’ refers to the full spectrum of 
experience  ranging  from  mental  well-being  to  mental  illness  (Keyes,  2005).  An 
individual’s mental well-being is described as both feeling good (hedonic well-being) and 
functioning  well  (eudaimonic  well-being)  (Ryan  and  Deci,  2001).  Conversely,  ‘mental 
illness’  refers  to  conditions  and  experiences  that  involve  thoughts,  feelings,  symptoms 
and/or  behaviours  that causes distress  and reduce  functioning, negatively impacting  an 
individual’s  day to day experiences, and which may receive (or  be eligible to receive) a 
clinical diagnosis. The terms ‘mental health problems’ or ‘poor mental health’ are applied 
to  a  broader  range of individuals  experiencing  levels  of emotional  and/ or  psychological 
distress  that  go  beyond  normal  experience,  and  are  beyond  their  current  ability  to 
effectively manage. This includes individuals experiencing mental illness, as well as those 
whose  experiences  fall  below this  threshold,  but  who  are not  experiencing  mental  well-
being (Hughes and Spanner, 2019). 

In  this  report,  the  term  ‘well-being’  encompasses  a  wide  framework,  of  which  mental 
well-being  is  an  integral  part,  but  which  also  includes  physical,  social  well-being  and 
(where  appropriate)  spiritual  well-being.  This  uses  a  model  provided  by  Richard  Kraut 
(2009), in which optimum well-being is defined as an individual’s ability to fully exercise 
their  cognitive,  emotional,  physical  and  social  powers,  leading  to  them  flourishing  and 
contributing  positively  to  society.  Thus,  the  conceptualisation  of  well-being  used  in  the 
report expands on the definition of well-being adopted in other  NESET reports, whereby 
well-being  is  seen  as  ‘a  multidimensional  concept’  that  is  [equated]  ‘with  the  terms 
quality  of  life,  happiness,  life  satisfaction,  and  prosperity  (Eger  &  Maridal,  2015)’. 
Adopting  this  expanded  definition,  the  authors  further  explore  the  societal  and 
environmental  aspects  of  well-being,  as  well  as  the  interplay  between  societal  and 
personal  well-being.  Indeed,  this  definition  can  also  capture  the  current  focus  of  the 
European  Commission  on  well-being  as  being  sustainable  and  inclusive  (European 
Commission, 2023), with the individual and societies looking at resources for future well-
being  within  planetary  boundaries,  nature  preservation,  intergenerational  solidarity  and 
inclusiveness (Matti et al., 2023). 

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  STUDENT AND STAFF MENTAL WELL-BEING IN EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION 
INSTITUTIONS 

Findings 

Barriers to well-being in higher education 

The report finds that higher education staff and students, both within the European Union 
and  internationally,  experience  a  high  prevalence  of  issues  and  barriers  relating  to 
mental health and well-being. These include issues relating to: 

• 

• 

• 

culture  and  common  practices  within  higher  education,  which  prioritise 
individualism and competition rather than community and well-being; 

inequalities,  discrimination  and  marginalisation  within  higher  education,  which 
affect high numbers of staff and students; and 

the impacts on staff and student well-being of wider global challenges and crises, 
when combined with stressful work or study environments  

The  report  finds  that  there  is  little  acknowledgement  of  the  interlinked  relationship 
between  staff  and  student  well-being  within  higher  education.  Instead,  institutional 
interventions  and  approaches  appear  to  explicitly  or  implicitly  prioritise  student  well-
being, with staff well-being initiatives appearing disjointed, inconsistent or less valued in 
comparison  to  those  that  relate  to  students.  However,  there  is  an  opportunity  and 
potential to move away from this current state of play. To achieve this, we should start 
by identifying how structural and cultural challenges affect both students  and staff . The 
existing  neo-liberal  culture  and  environment  in  higher  education  is  associated  with 
additional  cognitive,  emotional  and  practical  demands  on  staff  that  impede  teaching, 
learning,  research  and  well-being  for  both students  and  staff.  For  example, the  current 
cultures  and  structures  regarding  workload,  which  are  characterised  by  unhealthy  staff 
working  hours  and  a  lack  of  work-life  balance,  can  negatively  impact  staff  and  student 
well-being,  because  stressed  and  sometimes  burnt-out  staff  are  unlikely  to  be  able  to 
fully  engage  with  and  support students. As  the  popular  saying goes  –  ‘one  cannot  pour 
from  an  empty  cup’.  Wider  institutional  policies  such  as  competitive  outcomes-based 
performance  metrics  (Berg,  et  al.,  2016),  as  well  as  precarious  academic  contracts  and 
financial pressures (Morrish, 2019), have seriously detrimental implications for the well-
being  of  the  whole  university  community.  Indeed,  existing  metrics  often  do  not 
acknowledge  pastoral  support  to  students,  which  substantially  increases  the  emotional 
and practical demands on staff and impacts the level of provision for students. 

Cultural pressures of performativity have a detrimental impact on the well-being of both 
staff  and  students  alike,  as  they  are  both  subject to such  pressures.  Lynch  (2010) has 
argued persuasively that neo-liberal structures in the marketised higher education sector 
have  compounded  the  Cartesian  dissociation  of  rationality  and  emotion  in  academia 
(Noddings,  2003),  promoting  a  competitive  and  individualistic  culture  of  ‘carelessness’ 
that devalues caring responsibilities and self-care, creating obstacles to healthy learn and 
work. However, if staff productivity can be associated with a positive working culture and 
environment  –  one  with  purpose  and  well-being  –  it  could  enable  staff  to  deliver 
pedagogical and pastoral support that would sustain student learning and well-being.  

Staff  and  students  often  face  similar  forms  of  discrimination  (i.e.  in  relation  to  gender, 
sexual  orientation,  religious  beliefs,  disability,  etc.)  that  act  as  barrier  to  their  learning 
and/or working experience and impact on their well-being. These forms of discrimination 
may manifest differently, but the root causes are the same and need to be addressed. 

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STUDENT AND STAFF MENTAL WELL-BEING IN EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION 
INSTITUTIONS 

The  above  challenges  for  both  staff  and  students  have  been  exacerbated  due  to  the 
recent  COVID-19  pandemic,  the  uncertain  economic  climate  and  the  ongoing  wars  in 
Europe and beyond, which continue to have an impact on both staff and students.  

This  report posits that staff and student well-being are not separate issues, but need to 
be  considered  as  mutually  dependent  parts  of  the  same  ecosystem.  The  literature 
suggests – and it is the authors’ firm belief – that working towards an integrated, holistic 
approach to staff and student well-being would be beneficial for all.  

A whole-university approach to mental well-being   
The  literature  surrounding  mental  well-being  in  higher  education  clearly  recommends 
that  holistic,  whole-institution  approaches  are  needed,  with  university  leaders  taking 
ownership  of  and  accountability  for  ensuring  that  mental  well-being  is  considered 
throughout higher education cultures, systems and practices. 

A  crucial  aspect  of  this  leadership  is  the  requirement  to  have  in  place  policies  and 
strategies relating to well-being, both at institution level and more broadly. An example 
of this is Ireland, where there is country-wide policy and strategy around mental health 
(Hill et al., 2020). Closely related to this is the need for governance and accountability – 
for  institutions  to  continuously  monitor  the  effectiveness  of  their  practices  and  to 
continually make changes and enhance practices where necessary. 

At  a  granular  level,  considerations  relating  to  mental  well-being  need  to  be  embedded 
into:  

▪ 

▪ 

Institutional culture, i.e. through institutional values and mission statements that 
explicitly reference mental well-being; through aiming to reduce or eliminate toxic 
cultures that have a negative impact on well-being; and through a commitment to 
embedding  compassionate  leadership,  as  implemented  in  health  and  social  care 
contexts; 

Inclusive student support services and practices, ensuring they are well designed 
so  that  students  are  adequately  supported  from  the  very  beginning  and 
throughout their studies; 

▪  Curricula  (including  assessment),  pedagogy  and  practice,  i.e.  through  inclusive 
curriculum  and  assessment  design;  through  significant  commitment  to  staff 
development; 
formal  quality  assurance  processes;  and  through 
assessment accommodations and adjustments; 

through 

▪ 

Institutional processes and administration that impact on the student’s university 
experience,  both  in  terms  of  the  inclusive  design  of  processes  (accommodating 
extenuating  circumstances  requests,  and  so  on)  and  in  terms  of  embedding 
accountability for well-being into processes via measures such as Equality Impact 
Assessments; and 

▪  Staff  recruitment,  promotion  and  staffing  practices,  and  working  conditions  for 
staff,  through  accommodations,  adequate  training,  the  provision  of  relevant 
support, 
to  eliminating  bias  and 
discrimination. 

inclusive  practices  and  commitment 

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  STUDENT AND STAFF MENTAL WELL-BEING IN EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION 
INSTITUTIONS 

In  addition,  there  is  a  need  to  ensure  institutions  offer  proactive  support  for  mental 
health and well-being to both staff and students, promoting a culture of well-being for all. 
A  crucial  aspect  of  this  is  enhancing  the  well-being  and  mental  health  literacy  of  both 
staff and students, and offering support to students and staff who are impacted by global 
or  individual  circumstances  beyond  the  remit  of  the  institution.  This  should  be 
operationalised  through  the  availability  of  counselling  and  support,  as  well  as  through 
inclusive  practices  such  as  deferrals  of  study,  extensions  to  assignments  and  the 
availability  of  contingency  leave  or  leave  of  absence  for  staff,  without  judgement  or 
impacts  on  career  or  study  goals.  Well-being  counselling  services  should  also  be 
culturally competent to respond adequately to the different needs of a diverse university 
community (Daddow et al., 2020). 

By  pressing  for  such  a  change  in  culture,  focused  upon  compassion,  community, 
connection and belonging, better well-being can be promoted for all (Hughes, 2020; Riva 
et  al.,  2020).  Crucially,  a  successful  whole-institution  approach  should  be  planned  and 
deployed in partnership with and including the voices of all stakeholders, so that actions 
taken are timely and relevant to the higher education setting in which staff and students 
operate. 

Recommendations 

This report makes the following recommendations: 

1-  Universities  should  work  to  implement  holistic,  whole-institution  approaches  to 
well-being and mental health, which are planned and deployed in partnership with 
staff and students. 

2-  Policies  and  strategies  relating  to  well-being  and  mental  health  should  be 
developed, both at institution level and more broadly (e.g. country-wide), that can 
inform an effective and continuously monitored practice.  

3-  Change should be promoted in institutional culture, with university leaders taking 
ownership of and accountability for ensuring that mental well-being is considered 
throughout higher education systems and practices, and for delivering a strategic 
vision that supports a culture of compassion, belonging and equality for staff and 
students. 

4-  Support services (e.g. counselling) and practices (e.g. deferrals of study or leave 
of  absence)  should  be  inclusive  and  culturally  competent,  so  that  students  and 
staff  are  adequately  supported  from  the  very  beginning  and  throughout  their 
studies and/or contract. 

5-  Well-being should be embedded throughout curricula, assessment, pedagogy and 

practice, with inclusive design becoming the standard. 

6-  Institutional processes, systems and administration should actively consider well-
being,  in  terms  of  both  the  inclusive  design  of  processes  (accommodating 
extenuating  circumstances  requests,  and  so  on)  and  in  terms  of  embedding 
accountability for well-being into processes via measures such as Equality Impact 
Assessments. 

7-  Well-being  should  be  actively  considered  throughout  staff  recruitment,  working 
conditions  and  promotion  practices,  and  should  including  accommodations, 
adequate  training,  the  provision  of  relevant  support,  inclusive  practices,  and  a 
commitment to eliminating bias and discrimination. 

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STUDENT AND STAFF MENTAL WELL-BEING IN EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION 
INSTITUTIONS 

8-  Support  for  mental  well-being  should  be  proactive,  promoting  mental  health 

literacy among staff and students towards a culture of well-being for all.  

Conclusion 

We are moving towards a future in which higher education must be increasingly relevant 
to  and  active in  society,  playing  a  substantial  role  in shaping  sustainable, inclusive  and 
resilient  societies,  economies  and  leaders.  It  is  essential  that  universities  find  ways  to 
counter  the  toxic  and  competitive  cultures  of  the  past  and  move  towards  a  strategic 
vision  that  supports  a  culture  of  compassion,  belonging  and  equality for  staff  and 
students.  

6 

 
 
 
 
 
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