Recently, there has been an increased interest in the well-being of students in higher education. Despite the widespread consensus on the importance of student well-being, a clear definition continues to be lacking. This study qualitatively examined the student perspective on the topic through semi-structured interviews at a university of applied sciences in the Netherlands (n = 27). A major recurring theme was well-being as a balance in the interplay between efforts directed towards studies and life beyond studies. This method of perceiving well-being deviates from theoretical definitions. Students mentioned various factors that influence their well-being. Responses ranged from personal and university related factors to external factors beyond their educational institution. This study contributes to the body of knowledge on the well-being of students in higher education and provides suggestions for educational institutions, such as incorporating a holistic perspective on students and learning; and focus points for the development of policies and practices.

Student mental health is a relevant aspect of the current academic context due to concerns regarding escalating mental health issues and because of an increasingly holistic perspective on education, learning, and personal development. This research investigates the perceptions of teachers in higher education regarding their roles in promoting student mental health, explicitly focusing on teachers who hold a tutor position. After following a strict procedure, the Mentor-Q questionnaire was designed to measure respondents’ perceptions of their role. This questionnaire was administered online to all Dutch University of Applied Sciences teachers for the study; 180 teachers finished it. Results were discussed and validated using a member check (n = 10). Exploratory factor analysis identified four role perceptions: connector, awareness raiser, referrer, and guardian. While all teachers endorsed these roles, the three clusters that appeared in a latent class analysis varied in their agreement levels. No background variables were significantly related to the role perception profiles. It seems that supporting teachers in recognizing and maintaining boundaries in their role in student mental health is crucial. This study highlights the complexity of the teacher’s role in supporting the student’s mental health and has implications for aligning their responsibilities with higher education goals.

A review of studies on mental health programmes targeting young adults (18–24) in educational settings in EuropeAs students’ mental health and wellbeing are receiving increasing attention within educational institutions, this article presents a review of existing knowledge regarding the effectiveness of mental health and wellbeing programmes targeting young adults within educational settings in Europe. A literature search was conducted, and nine studies were found that matched the selection criteria. Programmes were analysed in terms of their characteristics, participant characteristics and study characteristics. All studies showed that such programmes have a small to moderate effect on at least some aspects of the students’ wellbeing that were targeted. Implications for bothpractice and research include: involving end users in the programme development stage; taking into account the drop-out rates of students participating in a programme; considering carefully whether a group-based or individual-based programme is best; and focusing on the importance of embedding a programme in the respective organization. More research is needed to verify the findings and to further determine what makes a programme effective.

Student mental health is a challenging topic in higher education, with institutions aiming to develop policies and practices to support students’ personal and professional development. This study examined students’ expectations of their tutors regarding mental health support. An adaptation of the Mentor-Q questionnaire, focusing on tutor role perceptions, was used to measure student expectations. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit of the adapted instrument. The questionnaire was completed by 869 students at a Dutch university of applied sciences, and the results were discussed with eight students. The findings revealed four role expectations of tutors: awareness raisers, connectors, referrers, and guardians. Latent class analysis revealed six clusters, with connector and referrer roles as well as awareness raiser and guardian roles being almost equally important within the clusters. The main difference between the clusters was the height of expectations. Satisfaction with the tutor was significantly related to cluster membership, such that higher expectations correlated with lower satisfaction. Additionally, students who discussed their mental health with their tutors were more represented in clusters with relatively low expectations. Discussions with the students highlighted the nuanced landscape of expectations and the importance of contextual factors and metacommunications. Implications for policy and practical development are also discussed.